Doctors To Continue Suits Over Non Registration As Specialists

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Two groups of doctors have obtained leave to seek a judicial review of their application to compel the Malaysian Medical Council to list them in the National Specialist Register. (Freepik pic)
PETALING JAYA: Two groups of medical specialists have decided to pursue their cases against the Malaysian Medical Council for failing to list them in the National Specialist Register.
The cases were put on hold by the courts after Parliament passed amendments to the Medical Act in July last year.
The first group comprises six medical genetics specialists who completed their master’s degrees in pathology at Universiti Sains Malaysia under health ministry sponsorship.
The others are four cardiothoracic surgeons who obtained their specialist qualifications from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
Their qualifications were not included in the old act, but have been officially included in the amended list for specialist recognition.
Their lawyer, Jeremiah Rais, said their application for a judicial review is scheduled to be heard by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on May 6.
He said the amendments to the Medical Act passed in July last year were to deal with problems with specialist registration.
“As no operational date has been appointed by the minister, we have no alternative but to proceed with the judicial review and have the matter determined on its merits,” he told FMT.
MMC pressed to justify fresh applications
The six genetics specialists have written to the health ministry protesting against a requirement for fresh applications to be submitted for entry on the specialist registry.
They said the medical council had written on March 11 asking for fresh applications as those made in January 2023 are no longer valid.
However the specialists contend there is no good reason for MMC to require fresh applications as their master’s programme is recognised under the amended act. “Once it comes into effect, there can be no reasonable basis for MMC to refuse the registration,” they said.
The letter said they are deemed entitled to be registered as specialists under the amended act, and seek clarification as to when they will be duly registered as specialists.
The court has set May 21 for further case management to set a hearing date. - FMT

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