Today, Berita Harian made a front page report that KKM has made it compulsory for all specialist, especially the newly qualified, to serve in rural areas for atleast 6 months. The following circular below was issued on 5/01/2012.
It also says that all Housemen who completes housemanship in Klang Valley will be transferred out (page 16) and any transfer back will only be entertained after 3 years of service except in certain special situation (page 20). For those who are being transferred to East Malaysia, you may request to transfer back in 2 years. Of course, if you are accepted into Master’s programme, you will be transferred to the training centre.
In July 2006, I wrote an article in MMA Magazine ” Future of Government Doctors: Die Another Day? “ https://pagalavan.com/my-mma-articles/july-2006future-of-government-doctors-die-another-day/. This was my last sentence: “There will come a time that we would be told that “if you don’t like the system, you may leave”. Since the “World Is Not Enough” we would be asked to go all over the country for promotions since the posts available are going to be limited. We can “Never Say Never Again”. The administrators are NOT going to be “The Spy Who Loved Us” but rather they would become “Goldfingers” and “Thunderballs”. In near future (not long, just another 5-7 years!), we are going to become “Dr. No”– body and since “You Only Live Once” and not twice, we will “Die Another Day”……………or we may just end up playing “Casino Royale”…………..” How true has it become!
Since Housemanship is being given on contract basis, it makes it much easier for MOH/SPA to force people to go to rural areas. If you don’t want to go, you may become jobless. Only if you accept the offer, the contract may be renewed or you may be accepted into permanent civil service
As for specialist, you may be transferred out to rural hospitals after your gazettement for a 6 months posting. In “circular” language, 6 months means 1 year as the paper work to transfer back will take a few months. They may make this compulsory in order for you to be accepted into subspeciality training programme. Overall, you may need to wait 1 year after gazettement for subspeciality training, depending on the waiting list. From 2011, all specialist who were accepted into subspeciality training will be bonded for atleast 3 years, not including the 5-7 years bond for your Master’s programme.
I feel that all doctors should serve in rural areas during their life as a doctor. You will learn alot especiallly about social circumstances and working with limited facilities. However, I feel that a doctor who had already served the rural area as a MO etc, should not be forced to do it again.
As I keep saying, life is not going to be easy for future doctors………….
circular : PANDUAN PENEMPATAN DAN PERTUKARAN PEGAWAI
Wajib ke luar bandar
2012/02/08
Doktor pakar dikehendaki bertugas 6 bulan di pedalaman
KUALA LUMPUR: Doktor pakar yang menjalani latihan di kawasan bandar kini diwajibkan berkhidmat di luar bandar dan pedalaman termasuk Sabah dan Sarawak selama enam bulan sebelum diberi pilihan untuk bertukar berkhidmat ke kawasan lain.
Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan, Datuk Seri Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman, berkata arahan itu terkandung dalam Panduan Penempatan Doktor Pakar bagi Tempoh Enam Bulan di Hospital Luar Bandar yang dikeluarkan Disember lalu bagi mengimbangi penempatan doktor di luar bandar dan pedalaman.
Pagalavan's Avatar 
Dear Dr. Pagalavan,
As for:
“Housemen who completes housemanship in Klang Valley will be transferred out (page 16) and any transfer back will only be entertained after 3 years of service”
When I completed my housemanship in HTAR(Klang) or PPUM, as a rule I’ll be transferred to other state (it is clear) for 1 year; for the new policy, is it mean that I’ll need to be out of the state of at least 3years before I can be transferred back to my own city in Selangor?
Or the mentioned “3years of service” is including our 2 years of Housemanship plus 1 year district posting?
Your help is much appreciated.
Thanks alot!
The circular is not very clear on this. I believe that the 3 years should include the 2 years housemanship, which means you can ask for transfer back after 1 year of posting outside Klang Valley. However, you must understand that making you eligible to apply does not mean that you will get the transfer. It all depends on availability of post and whether you have any Part 1 etc.
I don’t think it include 2 years housemanship. Then everybody will apply for transfer after 1 year MO. There will be a lot of paper work.
Future is sure dark for Doctor…In my time you need to be excellent student to be a Doctor..Now I see few advertisement said you got 5B or 8B still can become a Dr ..they will send you to Indonesia if I not mistaken..they said lulus KPT/acreditatsi etc..need money around RM500 000..in Kelantan ,they have a shop with big banner shown this at Simpang Empat islah Jln Pekeliling.. See for yourself..NOW EVERYBODY CAN BECOME DOCTOR..( Dr Pagalavan your article funny but it is true)
Do you have the picture of the banner? will be interesting to put up in my blog
Sorry, no..I just appear to passby and shocked actually…then keep moving..
Dear Dr Pagalavan, are the new batch of house officers from this year being given contracts at the start of housemanship & is it for 2 years? does that mean no compulsory service? concerned since I will graduating end this year. TQ for your help.
The entire housemanship of 2 years is being given on contract basis. The compulsory service of 4 years is still on BUT JPA and MOH are pressurising MMC to scrap the compulsory service. It may happen soon!
Dr Pagalavan,
I am basically in the same boat as Kent (1st poster), coming to about 1yr 2months in a district hospital in Sarawak, having completed 2 years HO also in Sarawak.
I have just recently applied back to the hospital I’ve trained as a HO.
My question is: will this new pekeliling affect the success of my transfer?
I am a Sarawakian btw.
Thanks for this helpful post, and very informative blog. 🙂
Well, it is up to the state health department. It also depends on the reason why you want to transfer back.
In the case, I’ll be praying for the best~! (reason was to get some orthopaedic experience b4 applying for masters)
Dear doc,
You have come out with such an interesting blog, excellent write-up! BUT, BUT, BUT, please, be sure with the info that you have. Not all (not all-I repeat) info (that u posted here) can be fully trusted. Any further question(s) should be directly chanel to Ministry of Health (HRD, MMC et cetera). The people in HQ are sacrificing a lot to give the best to the clients, and they are so ready to assist/answer any questions. Once again, let me stress this, “LET THEM ANSWER!” Let them provide credible answers. I notice you tend to outlined some irrelevant info and some can be considered as ‘in progress/undergoing research’ and ‘yet to be confirmed.’ I would suggest you answer any questions in your capacity as a practitioner/specialist/equivalent and not what you think you know! Your line, “…BUT JPA and MOH are pressurising MMC to scrap the compulsory service…” for an example, is so annoying! Maybe it is true, maybe it is not, who do you think you are?!
Regards.
Atleast I mention my name and who am I in my blog unlike you who just give a pseudonym. So, i am sure you know who I am! If you are a smoker and I tell you that you have a XX % chance of getting a lung cancer or COPD in the next 10 years, would you say that I am talking nonsence? Obviously NOT as it is a well known possibility. That is exactly what I am saying in my blog. If you read what I have written over the last 2 years, almost everything that I have been saying has come true. If anyone has any doubt of what I am saying, they are welcomed to search for themselves and find the truth!! I never force anyone to believe what I write. It is up to you whether you want to believe or not. Everything that I write has been conmfirmed with my sources from MOH and MMC.
As your comment about compulsory service, I think you should read more. The origin of compulsory service in 1970s is NOT for training purposes BUT due to shortage of doctors in public sector. That shortage is going to dissapear in another few years time. FYI, this info is from a member of the Malaysian Medical Council, Dr David Quek. You can read about it over here https://pagalavan.com/2011/11/17/for-future-doctors-the-standards-of-medical-education-in-malaysia-and-its-acceptability-by-david-quek/. I had also double confirmed it with the President of MMA DR Mary Cardosa in March this year. It is just a matter of time!
I also brought up the issue of postgraduate training limitations, 2 years post gazettement training before subspeciality training, compulsory rural postings, 4 years training post MRCP before gazettement even before the circular was released by MOH. ALL these turned up to be the truth!!
It is all up to you whether you want to belive it or not. You can always contact MOH and double confirm what I say. FYI also, our current DG has chased out some specialists from his office as he did not want to entertain any appeal about transfers. In one way, he is right in not entertaining all these request as no one wants to leave their comfort zone. So, please feel free to call and enquire from MOH! I am sure you will get your answer!!
Doc, thanks for illuminating such imminent scenarios for doctors in Future..
What do you think with such surplus doctors? Do they all still need to be in Clinical scenario? I guess there are many who are sucking at Clinical areas, and also hate to go thru this..
Wud be wise for the govt to open more gates for doctors to non-clinical areas, into research etc.. It would help get rid of ppl who cannot stand clinical fields at the same time mae good use of dem rather than slogging them with in it.
Yes, those who are not interested in clinical field may go into nonclinical field but research is rather underdeveloped in MOH. At this point in time, if you are interested in research, your best option will be the universities.
IN Malaysia, non clinical means admin work!
[…] to serve rural area , namely Sabah and Sarawak for atleast 6 months as I have written before https://pagalavan.com/2012/02/08/for-future-doctors-panduan-penempatan-dan-pertukaran/. As you can see, what I have been saying all this while is becoming a reality. Our postgraduate […]
[…] In March 2012, I wrote this https://pagalavan.com/2012/03/07/for-future-doctors-the-storm-is-coming-part-2/ where the new rule says that you can only apply for subspeciality training 2 years after you are gazetted as a specialist. AND during this 2 years, it is compulsory for you to serve rural areas for a minimum of 6 months, mainly in Sabah and Sarawak https://pagalavan.com/2012/02/08/for-future-doctors-panduan-penempatan-dan-pertukaran/. […]