"Rights and Responsibilities of Doctors" - DG of Health

This is a speech by our DG of Health, Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr. Hj. Mohd Ismail Merican at SCHOMOS Seminar “Rights and Responsibilities of Doctors” on 5th December 2009.

Exerpts of the speech:

"Incentives to retain doctors in Ministry of Health : Achievements
The Government has introduced many incentives and to our doctors which include, amongst others:-
· Increase in critical allowances from RM 500 to RM 750 starting 1st January 2008
· Increase in specialists’ allowance starting 1st January 2009. It is worth mentioning here that the last review of specialists allowance was conducted in 1989 – 20 years ago.
· Approval for locum in private health care settings
· Allowance for Compassionate Lists to reduce the backlog of elective surgical cases where surgical procedures/operations are performed during weekend. Specialists are paid based on sessional basis rate which is RM200/hr whereas Medical Officers will be paid at RM80/hour.
· Hardship allowance for rural posting based on specific locations
· Faster promotions for specialists and increased number of posts for Gred Khas for specialists. For example 98 posts were created for “Gred Khas C” in addition to the existing 226 posts in 2007.
· Masters students who pass Part 1 will be considered as passed PTK 1 (level III) and upon completion of Part 11 will be considered as passed PTK 3 (level III) and will be given UD48 (Acting) on gazettement as specialists.
· Automatic promotion of house officers from UD 41 to UD 44 upon successfully completion of housemanship training and other services criteria.
· Waiving the PTK course for medical officers and replacing it with the PTK-CPD which is more flexible.
· Reducing the induction course for housemen to 5 days."

He also touched on Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

"The Ministry of Health is committed to excellence and will ensure that doctors are motivated to be actively engaged in continual education. In the very near future, doctors will be required to attain a certain number of “minimum credit points” as a pre-requisite for obtaining their annual practicing certificates. This requirement is being incorporated into amendments to the Medical Act, which is at an advanced stage of revision and development."

The full length speech may be viewed on the MMC Website in the link below.

Rights and Responsibilities of Doctors : Future of Doctors in Malaysia -Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Hj. Mohd. Ismail Merican,
President, Malaysian Medical Council & Director- General of Health, Malaysia