KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry will roll out the regulations on specialist registration within a “reasonable timeframe” after amendments to the Medical Act were passed in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday(July 29).

“We will give it a reasonable timeframe....maybe about two months to roll out the regulations,” Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad told a press conference after the bill was passed in the Upper House.

He said the Fourth Schedule of the Act will provide clarity on the recognised institutions.

“What was previously seen as an irregularity has now been ironed out,” he said

He hoped the matter would no longer be disputed.

“We are all in this together. We want to uplift the specialist training, be it the parallel pathway or Master’s programme,” he said.

“We want to increase the quantity (of specialists) without sacrificing quality. In fact we will ensure that the quality is better,” he added.

The amendments to the Medical Act were passed in the Dewan Rakyat on July 18 following public debates and contention within the medical fraternity.

This comes as a much-needed resolution to the conflict surrounding the parallel pathway training programme as well as the registration of specialists and recognition of their training.

Following the amendments, the Health Ministry, which has carried out on-the-job training for the programme, will now be recognised as a training provider.

Changes in the composition of the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) members have also been proposed.

Meanwhile, a group of nine academics, NGOs and medical practitioners had written a letter to senators, calling for the postponement of the Medical (Amendment) Bill 2024 pending further review. This comes as the bill was brought to the Dewan Negara.

“Honorable Senators, you are users of healthcare services in our country. YB’s you have the right to demand that medicine programmes and specialist training in our country is subjected to a proper accreditation process, which is through an independent body and fulfills international standards,” they said.

“Such programmes will ensure that the doctors and specialists produced are truly competent and safe for the people,” they added.

In the four-page letter, they voiced their concerns over the proposed amendments to the Act and the implications on the quality of future specialists in the country.

When contacted, Prof Dr. Noor Hashim Ismail of the G70 Professor’s group– who was one of the nine signatories of the letter confirmed that the letter was sent to senators last week.

“The purpose of the statement is as information for them. Hopefully it will give some insight for them before discussing it at the Dewan Negara. We are not expecting a reply,” he said.

The same group had sent a memorandum to Dzulkefly and the Dewan Rakyat’s Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) when the bill was still at the Lower House.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/07/29/health-ministry-to-roll-out-amended-specialist-registration-regulations-within-reasonable-timeframe-says-dr-dzul