How to upgrade government doctors

[Sci Medical & Health]

From The Star

Move to upgrade government doctors

KUALA LUMPUR: Doctors in government service will soon have to attend continuous medical education to help them stay abreast with new developments in medicine.

Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the programme would be linked to the Government Efficiency Level Assessment Test.

"Those who do not attend the course will lose some marks in the test. Taking it will enable doctors to continue upgrading themselves with information on the latest technologies and treatment procedures.

"If a doctor does not attend the course, I am afraid he will just be a doctor who cannot give the best to patients," he told reporters after launching the Living Skills Pillar under the MCA Lifelong Learning Campaign at Wisma MCA here yesterday.

He said Deputy Health Director-General Datuk Dr Mohd Ismail Merican had been directed to work out the course details.

Dr Chua said the course was in line with the human capital development strategy emphasised by the Prime Minister.

On whether doctors in private practice would have to take the course, he said there was no mechanism to monitor them at the moment.

On the Living Skills Pillar, Dr Chua who heads it, said it covered topics that were relevant to the people.

For example, he said, mental health was increasingly an important issue in Malaysia but many still lacked awareness about the subject.

"We are trying to give people a better understanding on how to cope up with mental stress and who to see if they have mental problems. There should also be no social stigma associated with mental health.

"The problem now is that people with mental problems do not know if they should see a psychologist, psychiatrist or mental health counsellor. Some of them had even gone to see a neurologist," he said.

Dr Chua said there were times when patients refused to see a psychologist or psychiatrist when diagnosed with mental health problems as they had the misguided notion that they would be placed in mental institutions.

Finally govt have noticed tht their doc also need to be refurbish upgrade too. Not only for their building, equipment and stuff [Ehemmm]... knowledge and attitude also sometimes still below the par. We know and noticed bout shortage of fund and human resources in this Med and Health area... but then, why we need a good management on it right. [OK that on other post, I promise].

Maybe all this hav inside their head before... Upgrading the skill and lesser the workload... and go for efficiency. But HOW thy can achieve it...? Less talk and be more focus on what ur doing now mates. Insya Allah. Keep on a good move work... both MOH and their doc.

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