Too many new doctors and too few hospitals to train them
PETALING JAYA: The number of medical housemen undergoing clinical training in most government hospitals has increased and this has given rise to concern that they may not get sufficient experience.
With new medical schools opening up locally and lower fees being offered at new institutions abroad, around 4,000 Malaysian medical students are expected to graduate annually from 350 universities all over the world in the coming years.
Senior Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) consultant physician Datuk Dr S. Jeyaindran said each specialist was supervising four times as many housemen compared to a decade ago.
“Five years ago, one houseman looked after 10 patients in hospital wards at any one time but now it is one to four patients,” said Dr Jeyaindran, who is HKL department of medicine head and national head for medicine at the Health Ministry.
“The concern is that these interns are seeing fewer patients and hence, have fewer opportunities to carry out adequate procedures. In some hospitals, there are more housemen than patients.”
Dr Jeyaindran said they were not only concerned about the increase in numbers but also their attitude.
“Some lack responsibility towards their patients,” he said, adding that there were also those who did not know how to give an accurate diagnosis and relied too much on investigative tools instead of clinical skills and getting the proper patient history.
Malaysian Medical Council ethics committee chairman Datuk Dr Abdul Hamid Abdul Kadir said several specialists had expressed concern about the large numbers and training hospitals were finding it difficult to cope.
“In the past, it was five housemen in each department but now it could be 20 to 30 for each department,” he said, adding that some specialists were overburdened by the workload.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the ministry was aware of the issue and would be increasing the number of training hospitals.
He said the ideal ratio should be one specialist supervising five housemen with one houseman taking care of 14 hospital beds depending on discipline.
There were 38 hospitals providing training to more than 3,058 housemen last year.
However, the number increased to the current 6,253 housemen since the ministry increased the duration of housemanship from one year to two.
“This led to most hospitals, including those in Sabah and Sarawak, having an excess of housemen,” he said.
Hospitals that were chosen must be able to cater to six areas in which housemen need training – medical, surgical, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedic and accident, and emergency, he said.
Liow also said that they would be getting 58 contract specialists from Egypt, India and Pakistan next month to help supervise housemen and reduce the burden of the specialists now.
He also said that the ministry had taken steps to overcome the lack of experience among housemen by making training compulsory for two years instead of one.
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Buat masa ini, negara kita masih kekurangan doktor yang berkualiti. Diharapkan graduan baru ini boleh mendapatkan pengalaman yang mencukupi supaya boleh menjalankan tugas mereka dengan sebaik mungkin.
BalasPadamBetul, masalah kekurang doktor tempatan dinegara kita ini sangat ketara sekali. Kebanyakan doktor adalah dari luar negara. Oleh itu, kita mengharapkan para doktor tempatan akan dapat mencari pengalaman yang mencukupi.
BalasPadamhrap kita dpt melahirkan lebih ramai doktor pakar.
BalasPadamnot get sufficient experience for the doctor the increase govt hospital?? Right what this article say. Doctor have Some lack responsibility towards their patients if their lack of their experience.
BalasPadamgraduan perubatan perlu diberikan pengalaman yang secukupnya agar mereka mampu melaksanakan tugas mereka dengan lebih baik.
BalasPadamharap Malaysia akan mempunyai lebih ramai doktor pakar pada masa akan datang.
BalasPadamIt's important for the new doctors to be exposed and be given medical training in order for them to gain experience.
BalasPadamDoktor yang layak dan berkualiti amat diperlukan.
BalasPadamkita harus latih lebih ramai belia untuk menjadi doktor pakar.
BalasPadamI think the government should review on their salaries.
BalasPadamMasalahnya di negeri ini masih lagi memerlukan doktor-doktor pakar. Jika dibandingkan pengalaman dan kecekapan doktor dari luar memang sangat jauh berbeza, namun kita bersyukur kerana doktor yang ada di negeri ini juga mampu melakukan tugas mereka dengan baik, walaupun ada juga kesilapan yang berlaku tetapi ini adalah proses untuk lebih mahir dan pakar dalam sesuatu bidang.
BalasPadamKalau terlalu ramai doktor baharu tetapi tidak mendapat latihan secukupnya, ia hanya akan menimbulkan masalah. Ada baiknya terutamanya para doktor baharu perlu menjalankan banyak kajian dan latihan sebelum menjalankan tugas.
BalasPadamAda baiknya juga sekiranya kerajaan dapat mengkaji semula gaji setiap doktor perubatan berdasarkan dari pelbagai kriteria selain drpda kelayakkan, pengalaman dan dll. Behaviour doktor tu harus juga diambil kira, terutamanya doktor pelatih kerana layanan yang diberi kurang memuaskan.
BalasPadamDoktor-doktor malaysia yang bekerja di luar negara harap dapat berkhidmat di negara ini. Ini kerana kepakaran mereka sangat diperlukan. harap kerajaan dapat menawarkan gaji yang berbaloi agar mereka tertarik untuk bekerja disini. Walaupun terpaksa membayar gaji lebih tinggi kerana tiada gunanya sekiranya ramai doktor tapi tidak berpengalaman dan mungkin banyak membuat kesilapan. Ia hanya akan menjejeskan nama hospital tertentu.
BalasPadamPerlu melatih lebih ramai pembantu perubatan bagi memastikan semua pesakit dapat dirawat.
BalasPadamIt is undeniable that there are many unqualified doctors nowadays. Even though we are short of doctors in the medical fields, but I hope they will not sacrifice quality for quantity.
BalasPadamkita tidak akan menghadapi masalah ini jika doktor2 tempatan tidak berhijrah ke luar negara. kadang2 ada yang menerima latihan di luar negara dan terus berkerja di negara tersebut kerana tawaran gaji yang jauh lebih baik dari di negara ini. selain itu kerajaan juga perlu menyeimbangkan jumlah graduan dalam bidang perubatan yang kian meningkat dengan jumlah hospital atau klinik.. jika graduan ini mengangur lebih lama dikhuatiri pengetahuan serta kepakaran mereka dalam bidang perubatan terjejas.
BalasPadamMemang betul. Kalau tiada latihan yang betul bagi doktor pelatih, memang mereka tidak akan ' digunakan' sampai bila2.
BalasPadamCommon sense. Just like too many teachers with fewer training institutions. It's all the same thing.
BalasPadamAda banyak institusi perubatan tempatan sekarang yang tidak semestinya memenuhi kualiti yang dikehendakkan. Itu sebab ada banyak doktor yang hanya separuh tong. Kalau mahu buat institusi, buatlah bagus-bagus, tiada guna melahirkan doktor yang tidak berkualiti.
BalasPadamIni hanya akan mengundang musibah kepada para pelatih.
BalasPadamTo achieve the NKRA, the health ministry should figure something. Human capital is not meant to be wasted.
BalasPadamSaya bercadang kerajaan memastikan institusi perubatan tempatan memenuhi standard yang diperlukan supaya dapat menghasilkan para graduan yang berkualiti tinggi.
BalasPadamBila lebih banyak lagi hospital2 @pun jangan galakkan rakyat jadi doktor pada masa 5 tahun. Hanya selepas 5 tahun barulah galakkan mereka mengambil kos doktor. Hanya pandangan.
BalasPadam