The news below appeared in Berita Harian today http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/Kapastertinggaldalamhidung/Article/ . If you all remember, just a few weeks ago I did bring up an issue of poor regulation to monitor the so-called foreign trained “specialist”. The government has now allowed doctors (Malaysians) who have been in service for 10 years and more overseas to return to the country without the need for compulsory service. Previously they still need to do the 3 years compulsory service and during this time, they are put under supervision and then properly gazetted as a specialist by MOH.
Unfortunately now, anyone can come back and claim that they are a specialist and can practise in private hospitals and clinics. MMC only gives them the license to practise as a doctor but NOT as a specialist. That was the reason the National Specialist Register(NSR) was created in 2006 to register all specialists in the country BUT again, it is not compulsory. It will become compulsory only after the Medical Act 1971 is amended. The amendment of the medical act suppose to have happened in 2009 but till today it has not reached the Parliament!
So now, it is up to the respective hospitals to credential them as a specialist!! definitely this is biased. All private hospitals are profit driven and what they look at is the money. Whatever screw-ups the doctors do is up to the doctor to handle. The hospital has made the money anyway! So, some of these hospitals have started to recruit so-called foreign trained “specialist” from certain particular country to practise freely in their hospital without any supervision and without proper credentialing. The case below is an example of what is happening. Even before this, I have already heard some horror stories. If your vision is good, you can see the hospital’s name!
The situation will only become worst when the government liberalise the health sector and invite foreign doctors to set up hospitals and clinics in Malaysia!!
God save the rakyat!
Kapas tertinggal dalam hidung
Oleh Mohd Fahmi Mohd Yusof bhjb@bharian.com.my 2012/04/04
Pelajar dakwa sakit pada bahagian pernafasan, tekak selepas dibedah
JOHOR BAHRU: Seorang pelajar institusi pengajian tinggi awam (IPTA) terkejut apabila mendapati segumpal kapas sepanjang tujuh sentimeter (cm) tertinggal dalam hidungnya, selepas seminggu menjalani pembedahan hidung bagi merawat masalah sinus di sebuah hospital swasta di sini. Siti Khadija Aziz, 24, berkata, beliau menjalani rawatan pada 14 Mac lalu selepas mengalami selsema dan sakit tekak sebelum doktor hospital berkenaan mengesahkannya mengalami sinus dan perlu menjalani pembedahan segera.
“Susulan cadangan itu, saya menjalani pembedahan hidung keesokannya. Sepanjang tempoh selepas pembedahan, saya mula merasakan kesakitan pada bahagian pernafasan hidung hingga ke tekak selain kerap berlendir dan berdarah.
“Selain itu, saya juga mengalami kesukaran bernafas apatah lagi selepas pembedahan, doktor berkenaan tidak membenarkan proses pernafasan melalui hidung dilakukan. Saya juga sukar bercakap selain kedua belah telinga selalu gatal.
“Jika bercakap, suara saya menjadi sengau sehingga ramai bertanya apa yang berlaku hingga saya malu untuk berkomunikasi dengan rakan dan ahli keluarga yang lain,” katanya ketika ditemui, semalam. Katanya, susulan kejadian itu pada 20 Mac lalu, beliau kembali mendapatkan rawatan susulan di hospital berkenaan dan memberitahu segala masalah yang dihadapinya tetapi doktor terbabit mendakwa keadaan itu adalah normal dan hanya memerlukan rawatan biasa.
“Selepas pulang daripada hospital, saya masih rasa sakit seperti sebelum ini selain kesukaran bernafas dan kerap keluar darah dan lendir dari hidung.
“Keadaan itu berlarutan hingga pada 23 Mac, saya tidak tahan lagi dengan kesakitan itu lalu menghembus nafas agak kuat melalui hidung dan apa yang mengejutkan, segumpal kapas bercampur darah dan lendir keluar melalui hidung.
“Selepas bahan asing itu terkeluar, pernafasan saya kembali normal dan boleh bercakap tanpa mengeluarkan suara sengau seperti sebelumnya.
Pada 25 Mac, saya bertemu dengan dengan doktor terbabit dan menunjukkan kapas berkenaan,” katanya.
Bagaimanapun, katanya, doktor terbabit tidak menjelaskan penemuan gumpalan kapas itu, sebaliknya meneruskan rawatan seperti biasa dan cuba mengalih perhatian ketika persoalan mengenai kapas itu diajukan.
Sehubungan itu, katanya, beliau membuat laporan di Balai Polis Johor Bahru pada 28 Mac lalu selepas mengeluarkan perbelanjaan pembedahan dan rawatan kira-kira RM13,150.
I had my SPA interview this morning and one of the interviewers asked my opinion regarding this matter! haha
which hospital?
don’t count the gauze before leaving the OT? lol…
Hi Gigi, you can find the answer by zooming the picture. The name of the hospital is written in the police report.
Unfortunately, things like this do occur. Even in properly managed theatres with highly trained nurses (who do double-checked counts of what instruments/products are used), it still happens. One isolated case should not be used to cast a bad light on the medical profession as a whole. These occur in all countries including developed ones.
Of course it happens but this patient went back to him for review and he could have easily identified the problem! I wrote this because I know what is happening in that hospital! I do not want to elaborate any further, let MOH to investigate.
I think generally private hospitals still want to hire Malaysian specialists. They even try to choose the specialists based on the racial ethnic I.e. Chinese in Chinese majority area or Malay in Malay majority area.
Yup generally but the trend is somehow changing as many private hospitals especially the smaller ones trying to recruit these type of doctors.
Gigi, you can find the answer by zooming the page. The name of the hospital is written in the police report.
I can see the doctor’s name on it. Opps.
RM13 k odd ! is a huge sum to pay ! so be responsible !guess boleh settle out of court !! But what is the role of MOH ?
they are investigating
Dera Dr its a joke with NSR , they have not set a Criteria for palliative care specialist, when we apply for reg .now only they set a Sub commite under internal medicine. what about people who got their masters before 2012, have applied for registration . we completed our masters in 2003 ,where there is no such think excited in palliative medicine in KKM. they rejected people who have been practing and got their masters from 2003 .more over this sub commity constitutes of Internal medicine people and one coopted fellowship who just went for attachment and got gazzeted by KKM. who gazetted this Palltive ? .it should be a gazetted by a Pallative medicine specialist sub commity .as perdated they dont have a pallative care sub commity in KKM. Family medicine has in NSR.Is this another politic. gazetation is only for government doctors not for private . we dont come under that protocol neither Medical Act 1971 states there is specialist registration in Existence till today. This medical Law and ethics as we are a comment wealth country we are bounded by comment wealth law thats why lawyers in malaysia are trained from England. pls read the NSR main page .
Under the new amended medical act 2012, specialist registry is compulsory. It will be gazetted next year and fully implemented. The NSR has it’s limitation when it comes to new specialities as they do not have enough people in this specialities to serve in the committee.MOH do have proper procedures in place for gazettement.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/17/nation/11116137&sec=nation
A precursor for the private medical schools to start private specialist training program?
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/17/nation/11116137&sec=nation
This was in the paper today. Good only if the uni lecturer is capable and has kept in touch with clinical practice. I hope this does not become a back door for those whose undergrad or postgrad qualification is not recognised by MMC.
Having said that, some of the qualifications that MMC recognises are useless anyway – so doesn’t really make a difference in terms of quality control.
[…] I just hope this criteria will apply for those who are coming back from overseas “training” as well, as I have written before https://pagalavan.com/2012/04/04/trained-specialist/ […]