Medical specialist training gets legal clarity on July 1
PETALING JAYA: There will be greater structure, transparency and legal clarity of both streams of specialist training – the Parallel Pathway and local Master's programmes – once the amendments to the Medical Act come into effect next month, says the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).
Its president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira expressed his appreciation for the Health Ministry's commitment in strengthening the specialist medical training framework.
'We commend the ministry's clear and timely action in fulfilling its promise to implement the amended Medical Act without undue delay,' he said in a statement yesterday.
The association also thanked the ministry's Medical Development Division in making the initiative possible.
'The work that has gone into realising these regulatory changes is testament to their professionalism and dedication.
'It also reflects the urgent need to expand access to high-quality specialist training in order to meet the growing demands of our healthcare system, while maintaining patient safety and the highest standards in medical practice,' Dr Kalwinder added.
MMA, he said, looks forward to continued engagement with the ministry and all relevant stakeholders to ensure the implementation of these amendments will be smooth, fair and in the best interest of the people.
Dr RA Lingeshwaran lauded the Health Ministry's move, saying that many participants of the parallel pathway programme were appreciative of the effort.
'I believe they are all very positive that the amendments finally addressed their concerns,' said the senator, who is a former Sungai Bakap hospital director.
Independent health advocate Dr Sean Thum said most feedback from trainees and junior doctors was not solely about the amendments to the Medical Act, but about the structural bottleneck that persists before doctors can even enter specialist training programmes.
'Previously, any eligible doctor could enrol in the parallel pathway programme such as those offered by Royal Colleges abroad.
'The new framework rightly aims to standardise training quality, ensure adequate case exposure and improve supervisor-trainee ratios.
'From a public health perspective, this is a positive move towards safeguarding patient care standards,' he said.
The amendments to the Medical Act, which aim to resolve the issue of parallel pathway programmes and streamline the recognition of qualifications and specialised training, will come into effect on July 1.
In announcing this, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said he had signed the order to enforce the amendments to the Act, which will be resubmitted to the Attorney General's Chambers for gazettement.
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