The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) said the amendments to Act 50, which were passed in the Dewan Rakyat on July 17 through the Medical Act 1971 Amendment Bill 2024, were “a big step forward” in resolving the hurdles faced by healthcare professionals in obtaining expert recognition.
“The easing of specialist registration is projected to benefit Malaysia’s healthcare landscape, including private hospitals.
“Currently, many private hospitals would like to have Malaysian specialists working abroad return to serve in Malaysia. We hope the process of recognising these specialists will be shortened, as it currently takes a year or more, which is completely ludicrous,” said APHM president Dr Kuljit Singh.
In a statement, he said that by making the registration procedure easier, the amendments hoped to encourage more medical practitioners to undertake specialised training, thereby enlarging the pool of trained specialists available.
“This, in turn, can help to enhance patient outcomes and the general quality of healthcare in the country,” he said.
The Medical Act 1971 Amendment Bill 2024 was passed in the lower house after being tabled for its second and third readings.
The amendments followed the controversy over the Malaysian Medical Council’s refusal to recognise certain parallel pathways programmes, such as the cardiothoracic surgery qualification from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, despite a shortage of such specialists in government hospitals.
Kuljit said one of the most significant developments in the amended act was the creation of a new pathway for medical practitioners who have completed specialist training programmes approved by the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC).
“This method streamlines and simplifies the process of gaining expert registration, lowering the administrative load and time required for healthcare practitioners to acquire their desired specialist status,” he said.
He also welcomed the direction for MMC to work with professional associations and organisations to create and maintain a list of recognised specialist training programmes.
“This collaborative approach guarantees that the requirements for expert registration are regularly updated and in line with the changing needs of the healthcare system,” he said.