From Deputy Director-General of Health (Medical)

DATUK DR NOOR HISHAM ABDULLAH said;

The MOH affirmed that only medical officers from recognised universities are accepted to work as contract officers in line with the requirements of the Medical Act 1971.

These medical officers are given full registration and Annual Practicing Certificates as per their contracts. Therefore, they can only practise medicine at the specified MOH facilities.

Hence under the Act, they cannot practise in universities or act as locums in private clinics or private hospitals.

While working with the MOH, these contract doctors are not allowed to join the Masters Programme in public universities.

Ref: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/29/focus/21387338&sec=focus

from Minister of Health

Liow also said that doctors at government hospitals, who were on call, were now allowed to be off the next day

Liow also urged more private sector doctors to volunteer their time at government medical establishments at least once a month. “It is national service and we pay a token fee of RM80 an hour,” he said.

Liow said as of two weeks ago, doctors at government hospitals were required to place their names at the beds of patients to create a “patient ownership” environment.

Ref: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/28/nation/21376236&sec=nation

Fast relaying of info can help to save lives, says Health Minister

Getting the vital medical statistics of a patient in an ambulance to a hospital even before the vehicle gets there is the latest digital project to be considered by the Health Ministry. Its minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said that if implemented, medical assistants in the ambulances would be able to obtain help from emergency rooms to treat the patient during the journey to the hospital. He added that patient information such as blood pressure reading, pulse, breathing rate and ECG could be transmitted to the control centres. Liow also said that 400 ambulances were needed in the future to serve Malaysians efficiently. An initial 100 units worth about RM30mil has been ordered and another 100 will be bought soon.
Ref: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/9/nation/21199795&sec=nation

My questions are do the minister knows that many district hospitals in Malaysia do not have even a pulse oxymeter at their emergency units. Most of current ambulances available under the ministry of health do not have proper equipment such as BP set, pulse oxymeter and ECG monitoring device. So why spend millions of ringgits just for ICT when most basic requirements can not be provided. Even, we do not have enough number of trained medical assistant for our ambulance services. I do hope the ministry will study the plan properly. Advances in IT we have may appear great among the developing countries, but it will not be a wise decision when the basic needs can not be fulfilled.

Drive-through counter at Penang Hospital soon

Patients with chronic ailments may soon enjoy “drive through” facilities to collect their medication instead of having to wait at government hospital pharmacies.

Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said a pilot project would begin at the Penang Hospital in three months to study its feasibility.

“They will not have to come on their work day. They can get their medication after office hours or on weekends,” he said.

He said patients would be able to make a telephone call or send an SMS to the pharmacy ahead of making the collection.

Dr Ismail said “e-prescribing” – the computerisation of medicine prescriptions – had seen a decrease of the number of prescription errors.

Ref: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/27/nation/21073354&sec=nation

Convocation in USM

The Universiti Sains Malaysia convocation scheduled for March 22. USM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dzulkifli Abdul Razak said the second part of the 37th convocation, is meant for its foreign graduates. He said the USM’s 38th convocation would be held in August.

Higher Pay For Alll

PUTRAJAYA: At least 2,000 graduate house officers in government hospitals will get an automatic promotion to grade UD44 upon completion of their two-year housemanship in 2010.
They will be getting at least RM6,000 including allowances every month, which is almost double what the present graduate house officers are getting on grade UD41.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the promotion exercise would cost RM1.7mil annually.
He added that at least 7,000 doctors on grades UD41 and UD44, who were appointed before 2008, would also get their long overdue promotions. This would cost another RM9.8mil.
He said many doctors had been stuck at UD41 for six to seven years and that they would be moved to the higher scale of UD44.
“Hopefully, this promotion exercise will indirectly encourage many doctors to remain in the civil service,” he said.
Dr Ismail denied allegations by certain parties that there were not enough opportunities for other races compared to Malays in the medical sector.
He said that from 2000 to February this year, there were 2,085 specialists of whom 56% were Malays, Chinese (23.7%) and Indians (19.3% ).
He said 55% of the specialists on grade UD48 were Malays, 23% Chinese and 18.2% Indians. As for UD54, it was 58% Malay, 21% Chinese and 16% Indian.
Of the specialists under special grade C, he said 51.1% were Malays and Chinese and Indians made up 24% each.
As for those under special grade B, he said that 42% were Malays with the Chinese and Indians making up 24% and 34% respectively

Ref: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/3/6/nation/20080306070517&sec=nation

Barisan Nasional's Election Manifesto

OUR PROMISE:

ECONOMY

􀂄 Raise the nation’s productivity, income and competitiveness levels
􀂄 Cushion the effects of rising prices and ensure quality living standards for the people
􀂄 Strengthen private sector’s role as the main driver of economic growth
􀂄 Nurture and assist 1 million SMEs and entrepreneurs over 5 years
􀂄 Generate at least 2 million quality job opportunities over 5 years
􀂄 Reduce the Budget deficit further –more funds for development, without increasing taxes
􀂄 Follow through on 5 Development Corridors to bring equitable growth, investment and job opportunities to all parts of Malaysia

DEVELOPMENT

􀂄 Eradicate hardcore poverty and bring the overall poverty rate down to 2.8% by 2010
􀂄 Increase quality rural jobs and incomes
􀂄 Improve services and facilities for low-income urban households including rural to urban migrants
􀂄 Improve provision of quality and affordable housing
􀂄 Ensure access to modern quality healthcare
􀂄 Upgrade urban public transport and reduce traffic congestion
􀂄 Enhance road development in rural and other less developed areas
􀂄 Upgrade rail and aviation infrastructure
􀂄 Improve rural electricity coverage in Sabah to 81% and Sarawak to 90% by 2010
􀂄 Improve water supply coverage to 70% in both Sabah and Sarawak by 2010
􀂄 Continue to close the digital divide and improve broadband internet penetration via the National Broadband Plan
􀂄 Continue to implement the New Villages Development Masterplan
􀂄 Equitable distribution of quality opportunities in income generation, employment, business and education to all parts of Malaysia. Towards this end, the ‘Kelantan Baru, Kelantan Maju’
initiative will deliver development and better quality of life to people in the state

EDUCATION

􀂄 Raise teachers’ minimum qualifications and provide more training opportunities
􀂄 Continue to make national schools the school of choice by, among others, expanding the teaching of Mandarin and Tamil
􀂄 Safeguard the position of national-type schools
􀂄 Enhance national unity by fostering student interaction
􀂄 Provide more scholarships at the undergraduate level for poor but deserving students
regardless of race
􀂄 Identify apex universities and provide more autonomy and resources for public institutions of higher learning to attain world-class standards
􀂄 Raise investment in science and technology particularly in indigenous R&D

LAW & ORDER

􀂄 Bring down the country’s crime index
􀂄 Tackle drug abuse and other social ills
􀂄 Address the issue of illegal immigrants
􀂄 Add 60,000 Police personnel by 2011
􀂄 Set up more than 150 new Police stations and beat bases to increase presence in more neighbourhoods
􀂄 Improve safety in schools, playgrounds and public areas
􀂄 Enhance community policing via partnerships with non-governmental organisations, the
private sector and local community
􀂄 Upgrade Police communications technology, armaments, vehicles, technical aids and training
􀂄 Focus Police operations and resources in crime hot-spots across the country
􀂄 Redelineate Police districts to better match Police resources with community security needs

PUBLIC SERVICES
􀂄 Speed up implementation of e-government initiatives
􀂄 Complete overhaul of all land offices and district offices
􀂄 Speed up issuance of licences and permits
􀂄 Establish rating system for local authorities to improve performance
􀂄 Tie civil servants' promotions, rewards and penalties more closely to performance targets
􀂄 Increase ethnic diversity in the public sector
􀂄 Have a 3 to 7-day response time by all government agencies to all public queries and complaints

REDUCING CORRUPTION AND IMPROVING GOVERNANCE
􀂄 Continue to enforce anti-corruption measures without fear or favour
􀂄 Strengthen monitoring and enforcement by agencies such as the ACA, Customs, Inland Revenue and local authorities
􀂄 Establish an effective Special Complaints Commission to act on complaints of misconduct in enforcement agencies
􀂄 Continue to foster a culture of integrity and high ethical standards through the National Integrity Plan

RELIGION, UNITY

􀂄 Build a better understanding of Islam among Muslims and non-Muslims through Islam Hadhari
􀂄 Enhance appreciation for diverse cultures among Malaysia’s multiethnic people
􀂄 Expand the teaching of J-QAF to more schools
􀂄 Ensure provision of reserve land for places of worship in newly developed areas in accordance with developed guidelines
􀂄 Facilitate construction, consolidation and relocation of all places of worship via state government mechanism, co-ordinated at federal level, that will protect the interests of all communities
􀂄 Increase dialogue on inter-faith issues through the Department of National Unity and National Integration
􀂄 Improve unity programmes, especially in schools and institutions of higher learning

FOREIGN POLICY

􀂄 Continue to play an active, principled and impartial role in international affairs
􀂄 Expand trade and investment linkages
􀂄 Advance the economic agenda of the OIC through capacity-building programmes in less developed OIC countries
􀂄 Promote strategic partnerships between the West and the Muslim world to advance the economic agenda of the Makkah Declaration 2005
􀂄 Continue to build bridges between the Muslim world and the West through continuous dialogue
􀂄 Contribute towards a development agenda for the world’s poorest countries