Latest news with #MarinaMatBaki
The Sun
19-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
M'sian medical grads seen as valued, cost-effective in S'pore
MALAYSIAN medical graduates have become the preferred choice among Singapore hospitals, which view them as 'affordable yet high-quality assets,' according to a doctor serving at a hospital in the island republic. A physician who asked to be identified only as Dr. Akram claims that Malaysian medical graduates can be found in all Singaporean hospitals and are sought after due to Malaysia's holistic training system for junior doctors. 'At the hospital where I work, 40% of the medical staff are graduates from leading Malaysian universities,' said Dr. Akram, who has been practicing in Singapore for one year. According to the report by FMT, Dr. Akram received an offer to serve in Singapore after working as a medical officer at a Malaysian hospital for just six months. 'Singapore plans to build two new hospitals, which will likely attract even more medical graduates or medical officers from Malaysia,' he added. According to the Singapore Ministry of Health website, there are 11 public hospitals in the republic alongside nine private hospitals and 10 specialist centers focusing on cancer, cardiology, ophthalmology, dermatology, neuroscience, infectious diseases, and dentistry. On March 20, The Star reported an increasing trend of Malaysian medical graduates leaving for Singapore to complete their housemanship training. Marina Mat Baki, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, stated that 30 graduates moved to Singapore in 2023, compared to 25 in 2022, 15 in 2021, and only two in 2020. Meanwhile, Dr. Akram said his local-based colleagues have informed him that many medical officers are planning to work abroad. According to him, they are attracted by generous salaries and other benefits, as well as better treatment and work-life balance commensurate with their responsibilities and workload. 'Honestly, many medical students from two popular local universities are currently exploring opportunities and interested in joining us here,' he said. He noted that while Malaysia's system provides adequate training and exposure, many medical officers experience burnout due to issues with treatment, welfare, and lack of work-life balance. 'More painfully, these problems seem to have no end in sight,' he remarked. Dr. Akram explained that junior medical officers in Singapore receive monthly medical officer allowances, monthly housing allowances, and annual wellness allowances, as well as performance bonuses and variable corporate bonuses, in addition to salary and on-call payments for regular days, weekends, and public holidays. They are also granted annual leave, sick leave, leave without sick leave certification, marriage leave, family needs leave, training or course leave, and maternity/paternity leave. Dr. Akram said that requesting leave is much easier compared to Malaysia, where there is 'insufficient workforce.' 'Here, each hospital has its own specialist doctors, medical officers, and trainee doctors. In Malaysia, our specialists are scattered—for example, cardiologists at Hospital Serdang and others elsewhere,' he explained. According to him, the number of patients treated by a single medical officer is also not as high as in Malaysia. 'Here, a medical officer will treat only 20 patients daily, but in Malaysia, a doctor must treat up to 40 patients per day,' he concluded.
The Sun
19-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Across the Causeway: Malaysian medical graduates seen as 'affordable yet high-quality assets'
MALAYSIAN medical graduates have become the preferred choice among Singapore hospitals, which view them as 'affordable yet high-quality assets,' according to a doctor serving at a hospital in the island republic. A physician who asked to be identified only as Dr. Akram claims that Malaysian medical graduates can be found in all Singaporean hospitals and are sought after due to Malaysia's holistic training system for junior doctors. 'At the hospital where I work, 40% of the medical staff are graduates from leading Malaysian universities,' said Dr. Akram, who has been practicing in Singapore for one year. According to the report by FMT, Dr. Akram received an offer to serve in Singapore after working as a medical officer at a Malaysian hospital for just six months. 'Singapore plans to build two new hospitals, which will likely attract even more medical graduates or medical officers from Malaysia,' he added. According to the Singapore Ministry of Health website, there are 11 public hospitals in the republic alongside nine private hospitals and 10 specialist centers focusing on cancer, cardiology, ophthalmology, dermatology, neuroscience, infectious diseases, and dentistry. On March 20, The Star reported an increasing trend of Malaysian medical graduates leaving for Singapore to complete their housemanship training. Marina Mat Baki, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, stated that 30 graduates moved to Singapore in 2023, compared to 25 in 2022, 15 in 2021, and only two in 2020. Meanwhile, Dr. Akram said his local-based colleagues have informed him that many medical officers are planning to work abroad. According to him, they are attracted by generous salaries and other benefits, as well as better treatment and work-life balance commensurate with their responsibilities and workload. 'Honestly, many medical students from two popular local universities are currently exploring opportunities and interested in joining us here,' he said. He noted that while Malaysia's system provides adequate training and exposure, many medical officers experience burnout due to issues with treatment, welfare, and lack of work-life balance. 'More painfully, these problems seem to have no end in sight,' he remarked. Dr. Akram explained that junior medical officers in Singapore receive monthly medical officer allowances, monthly housing allowances, and annual wellness allowances, as well as performance bonuses and variable corporate bonuses, in addition to salary and on-call payments for regular days, weekends, and public holidays. They are also granted annual leave, sick leave, leave without sick leave certification, marriage leave, family needs leave, training or course leave, and maternity/paternity leave. Dr. Akram said that requesting leave is much easier compared to Malaysia, where there is 'insufficient workforce.' 'Here, each hospital has its own specialist doctors, medical officers, and trainee doctors. In Malaysia, our specialists are scattered—for example, cardiologists at Hospital Serdang and others elsewhere,' he explained. According to him, the number of patients treated by a single medical officer is also not as high as in Malaysia. 'Here, a medical officer will treat only 20 patients daily, but in Malaysia, a doctor must treat up to 40 patients per day,' he concluded.
Malay Mail
05-05-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
UKM makes history with Malaysia's first successful stem cell trials for knee osteoarthritis
KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) created history when it became the first institution in the country to successfully carry out clinical trials of stem cell treatment for patients with knee osteoarthritis, thus marking a new chapter in the field of regenerative medicine. KL Orthosports Sdn Bhd (KL Orthosports) chief executive officer Assoc Prof Datuk Dr Badrul Akmal Hisham said the treatment, which uses mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from umbilical cords, began in 2016 involving six patients and all have recovered and returned to normal life. 'Alhamdulillah, from 2016 until today, I have seen positive progress and I'm confident this treatment can be highlighted officially so that it benefits society and patients. 'As a national university, we are the only institution with proven and approved clinical trials on stem cell treatment, and we are committed to championing this cause,' he said. He told Bernama this after the exchange of agreement documents between KL Orthosport Sdn Bhd and Celler Therapeutics Sdn Bhd and the launch of the Malaysian Stem Cell Awareness Network here today. Also present were the Dean of UKM Faculty of Medicine Prof Dr Marina Mat Baki, Celler Therapeutics Sdn Bhd director Sasha Omar Firdaus Amir Nordin and two former knee osteoarthritis patients who received the stem cell treatment — Khairul Ikram Kamarul Bahrin and Mohammad Faizul Abdul Gaffar. KL Orthosports is a UKM start-up company that has obtained the licensing rights to UKM's innovation, allowing it to be commercialised and widely utilised, while Celler Therapeutics Sdn Bhd is a biopharmaceutical company that has expertise in stem cell production and therapy. Elaborating, Dr Badrul Akmal said the procedure begins with medical consultation, followed by X-ray tests and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans before the treatment is planned, including the preparation of cell stems in certified laboratories. 'After surgery has been performed, usually stem cells will be injected into the knee after two weeks and the recovery period depends on the severity of the injury,' he said. He added that the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) have identified the initiative for expansion and enhancement through grants provided under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI). 'InsyaAllah, eight public universities, including medical universities and the Public University Hospital Consortium (KHUAM), will combine to conduct multi-centre trials and we will focus on about 500 patients. 'From there we will see, if it produces positive results, perhaps in two or three years these universities of KHUAM will become a place for patients to seek stem cell treatment,' he said. Meanwhile, Sasha Omar emphasised that collaboration is essential to drug development in both the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical sectors as it helps translate scientific research into practical clinical applications. He also referenced a recent study conducted in the region called the Asia-Pacific Osteoarthritis Registry, which found that 70 per cent of patients treated for osteoarthritis were dissatisfied with conventional treatments such as painkillers, steroids, surgery and physiotherapy. He noted that none of these conventional treatments modify the disease in any way; they only help alleviate its symptoms. 'This is what drives us. We are here today with a mission to create better and more lasting treatments through regenerative medicine, offering a long-term solution that helps the patient's body repair damaged cartilage in their joints,' he said. — Bernama
Barnama
24-04-2025
- Health
- Barnama
UKM First Institution To Successfully Conduct Stem Cell Treatment For Knee Osteoarthritis
KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 (Bernama) -- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) created history when it became the first institution in the country to successfully carry out clinical trials of stem cell treatment for patients with knee osteoarthritis, thus marking a new chapter in the field of regenerative medicine. KL Orthosports Sdn Bhd (KL Orthosports) chief executive officer Assoc Prof Datuk Dr Badrul Akmal Hisham said the treatment, which uses mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from umbilical cords, began in 2016 involving six patients and all have recovered and returned to normal life. "Alhamdulillah, from 2016 until today, I have seen positive progress and I'm confident this treatment can be highlighted officially so that it benefits society and patients. 'As a national university, we are the only institution with proven and approved clinical trials on stem cell treatment, and we are committed to championing this cause,' he said. He told Bernama this after the exchange of agreement documents between KL Orthosport Sdn Bhd and Celler Therapeutics Sdn Bhd and the launch of the Malaysian Stem Cell Awareness Network here today. Also present were the Dean of UKM Faculty of Medicine Prof Dr Marina Mat Baki, Celler Therapeutics Sdn Bhd director Sasha Omar Firdaus Amir Nordin and two former knee osteoarthritis patients who received the stem cell treatment - Khairul Ikram Kamarul Bahrin and Mohammad Faizul Abdul Gaffar. KL Orthosports is a UKM start-up company that has obtained the licensing rights to UKM's innovation, allowing it to be commercialised and widely utilised, while Celler Therapeutics Sdn Bhd is a biopharmaceutical company that has expertise in stem cell production and therapy. Elaborating, Dr Badrul Akmal said the procedure begins with medical consultation, followed by X-ray tests and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans before the treatment is planned, including the preparation of cell stems in certified laboratories. "After surgery has been performed, usually stem cells will be injected into the knee after two weeks and the recovery period depends on the severity of the injury,' he said.
