world health day 2014 - malaysian medical association 2014/berita mma april 2014.pdf · persatuan...

April 2014Berita MMA Vol. 44 No. 4

(For Members Only)

P E R S A T U A N P E R U B A T A N M A L A Y S I A • M A L A Y S I A N M E D I C A L A S S O C I A T I O N

World Health Day 2014Small Bite: Big Threat

beritaMMA Vol.44 • April 2014

ContentsMMA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE2013 – 2014

President Dato’ Dr N.K.S. [email protected]

Immediate Past President Dr S.R. [email protected]

President–Elect Dr Krishna Kumar Hari [email protected]

Honorary General Secretary Datuk Dr Kuljit [email protected]

Honorary General Treasurer Dr Azizan Binti Abdul [email protected]

Honorary Deputy Secretaries Dr Koh Kar [email protected]

Dr Rajan [email protected]

Members Dr Azhar Amir [email protected]

Dr Ganabaskaran [email protected]

Editorial Board 2013 – 2014

Editor Dato’ Pahlawan Dr R. [email protected]

Ex–Offi cio Datuk Dr Kuljit [email protected]

Editorial Board Members Assoc Prof Dr Andrew Tan Khian [email protected]

Dr Alvin Lum Wai [email protected]

Dr Gayathri K. Kumarasuriar [email protected]

The views, opinions and commentaries expressed in the Berita MMA (MMA News) do not necessarily refl ect those of the Editorial Board, MMA Council, MMA President nor VersaComm, unless expressly stated. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the Malaysian Medical Association. Facts contained herewith are believed to be true as of the date that it is published. All content, materials, and intellectual property rights are owned and provided for by Malaysian Medical Association and its members. VersaComm makes no guarantees or representations whatsoever regarding the information contained herewith including the truth of content, accuracy, safety, or the absence of infringement of rights of other parties. In no circumstances shall VersaComm be held liable for the contents, materials, advertisements contained in this publication. VersaComm has no infl uence over the contents of Berita MMA and all opinions, statements and representations made do not in any manner refl ect that of VersaComm or its employees.

Published byMalaysian Medical Association4th Floor, MMA House, 124, Jalan Pahang, 53000 Kuala LumpurTel: +603 4042 0617; Fax: +603 4041 8187, 4041 9929Email: [email protected] / [email protected]: https://www.facebook.com/malaysianmedicalassociationWebsite: www.mma.org.my© Copyright ReservedISSN 0216-7140 PP 1285/02/2013 (031328) MITA (P) 123/1/91

Consultant

12-A, Jalan PJS 8/4, Mentari Plaza, Bandar Sunway,46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.Tel: +603 5632 3301; Fax: +603 5638 9909Email: [email protected]

PrinterAtlas Cetak (M) Sdn BhdNo. 2, Persiaran Industri, Bandar Sri Damansara52200 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-6273 3333

This Berita MMA is a publication only for the members of the Malaysian Medical Association. The Malaysian Medical Association does not warrant, represent or endorse the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the contents of Berita MMA (including but not limited to the advertisements published therein). Under no circumstances shall the Malaysian Medical Association be liable for any loss, damage, liability or expense incurred or suffered in respect of the advertisements and/or from the use of the contents in the Berita MMA. Reliance upon any such advice, opinions, statements, advertisements or other information shall be at the readers’ own risk and the advertisers are responsible for ensuring the material submitted for inclusion in Berita MMA complies with all legal requirements. The advice, opinions, statements and other information does not necessarily refl ect those of the Malaysian Medical Association. Nothing in this disclaimer will exclude or limit any warranty implied by law that it would be unlawful to exclude or limit.

ExCo4 Editorial

6 President’s Message: MMA’s Dalliance with the Media

11 Secretary’s Notes: New Fees for Doctors: Are We Happy or Otherwise?

14 The Treasurer: A Summary of Financial Updates

15 Deputy Secretary: Wherein Lies the Direction of Healthcare in the 11th Malaysia Plan?

SCHOMOS16 1st National SCHOMOS Climbathon 2014

PPS18 Snippets from PPSMMA

Features

19 World Health Day 2014 – Small Bite: Big Threat

20 Returning Expert Programme: Impact on Malaysian Healthcare System

54th National MMA AGM & Scientific Meeting 2014

22 Informal Night Theme: Arabian Night

23 AGM Registration Form

24 AGM Payment Form

MMA Elections: Manifestos of Candidates26 Nomination Announcement

27 President-Elect

29 Honorary General Secretary

Letters to the President32 Prime Minister: Boeing 777-200, MH370

33 President MMC: Issues Raised by the MMA

35 Malaysian Nurses Association: Tune Insurance Advertisement

President in the Press37 MMA: Do Not Add Stress to Next-of-Kin

37 D-Day on Doc’s Fees

37 We Are Producing Too Many Doctors

From the National Clinical Research Centre38 Research with Doctors (Part 1)

Personality40 Professor Dato’ Dr Zainuddin Md Wazir: A Passionate Heart

Branch News44 MMA VoC Medical Camp at Tapah, Perak

46 Mark Your Diary


EditorialDato’ Pahlawan Dr R. Mohanadas

[email protected]

hl h

exco • editorial4

The year 2014 began with fun, festivities and celebrations. It

was welcoming the New Year, Visit Malaysia Year 2014, the Prophet’s Birthday, Thaipusam and the Year of the Horse, the Chinese New Year.

In stark contrast, the month of March has turned out to be a diffi cult and trying month. Soaring temperatures, dry weather, haze and to add to the misery, water rationings in the Klang Valley. If that is not enough, we are experiencing dengue epidemics and rising dengue mortality. Then came the shocking disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH 370 on March 8, 2014. The highly anticipated ‘Future Music Festival Asia (FMFA)’ at Bukit Jalil on March 14, whilst providing entertainment for thousands, resulted in the death of six youths and 14 hospital admissions due to drug overdose. All these ‘happenings’ have had an impact on our profession and the country’s Health Services, and we have to rise up to these exigencies.

As I write this Editorial we are into the 16th day of a massive multinational search for the missing aircraft with its 239 passengers and crew. The Search & Rescue (SAR) teams, comprising experts from the most advanced countries with some of the best equipment available in the world, have yet to produce results. The excruciating wait, impatience, anger, stress and grief faced by the family members keep rising as the days plagued by uncertainties pass by. The stress on the offi cials too is showing, as can be seen in the Press Conferences. Stress on the SAR teams and journalists are also to be expected. The teams from the Crisis Preparedness & Response Centre

of the Ministry of Health are busy at work. As we hope for the aircraft to be located and the safety of those on board assured, let us also remember the grieving families, the SAR teams, offi cials, volunteers and all those involved in solving this mystery. Let us not be part of the ever increasing theories that are being sent around, and as the President MMA has advised, it is best we leave it to the SAR specialists to handle this situation. We shall pray in silence!

For some happier news, the STPM results were released on March 19. A total of 55,214 students sat for the examination and out of this number, 497 obtained 5As whilst 489 obtained 4 As, about 2% (CGPA 4.0). Now, how many for Medicine as fi rst choice? I had written in an earlier editorial, it may take a generational change for high achievers to opt for a discipline other than Medicine. The best student this year in STPM, and he deserves mention here, is Beh Keng Hau, of Teluk Intan, and not surprisingly, his choice is Medicine at Universiti Malaya! On the other note, I met Prof Dato’ Dr Mohd Amin Jalaludin, the recently appointed Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaya who agreed to be interviewed for Berita MMA. Prof Amin is a Professor of Head & Neck Surgery/ENT and a former Dean of the Medical Faculty of Universiti Malaya. I hope to share with readers the future of our fi rst Malaysian University with emphasis on the Medical Education and Training after this interview.

The SPM results were announced on March 20, and the total number who sat for this examination was 473,950. Of this number, 405 obtained straight A+ in all subjects and 11, 892 A’s in all subjects. Now these are the high

achievers and what would be the fi rst choice of the science students? Top scorer Nurul Diana of Kuala Terengganu obtained 11 As and has decided on Medicine. So how does our formula of reducing intake to medical schools, raising entry standards when results are already so good, our concern on lack of training centres for clinical attachment, and oversupply of doctors for the country jive?

The Formula 1 Petronas Grand Prix is over the weekend, and Kuala Lumpur will play host again to the motoring fraternity. Sepang and the city will be buzzing; however, the accompanying entertainment has been scaled down. What the profession can note with pride is the excellent medical services that is provided at Sepang for this event, and acclaimed to be one of the best organised medical services in the Formula 1 circuit.

Now, nearer to ’home’ the post of President-Elect and Hon. General Secretary is to be contested at the National AGM. Their manifestos are printed in this issue. We are told that the AGM preparations are going on well; the President and Hon. General Secretary have been visiting the Johor Branch to advise on the preparations. The Registration Forms are reprinted in this Berita and are also available on the MMA website.

There was an error in the Exempt Membership eligibility to the MMA. It is only for members over the age of 65 and not 60 as stated earlier. The error is regretted.

Happy Reading!

~~~In stark contrast, the month of March has turned out to

be a difficult and trying month for the Nation

~~~


president’s message6

MMA’sDalliance with

the Media

Dato’ Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan [email protected]

[email protected]

The Media – newspapers, magazines, online portals, radio & TV, are all known to be a dicey proposition

when it comes to reporting news in good light. One wrong word regurgitated, and it sees print, will have far reaching consequences for an individual and the Association. This may take years to repair and rehabilitate. This perception may have resulted in MMA pacing with trepidation when dealing with the media.

When I took over the mantle of the MMA, I was warned by many friends and Past Presidents, to keep away from the press. This, they advised in good faith, would help me navigate the one year in offi ce, without turbulence and controversies. More important they felt, was to steer away from addressing bad news. “Don’t get embroiled in controversy”, ”Don’t seek publicity and end up losing it all.“

This more so as MMA had received some negative publicity in the press recently, due to the RoS debacle, which saw a few trying to pulverise the image of the MMA.

However, I felt that MMA should have due recognition and the world should know about MMA. Only then will MMA be recognised and taken seriously. MMA has been doing so much good work over the years but the nation was unaware of it. MMA as a responsible and respected body should be seen advocating and speaking out on issues affecting the profession. We also had to overcome the perception of doctors, as being ‘uncaring and money-grabbing’.

MMA had rarely ventured out of the comfort zone. MMA preferred to stonewall the media. It was imperative that MMA develop ties with the media

to disseminate information of the MMA’s achievements. It will also assist in raising issues and the predicaments affecting the profession. As a professional organisation we need to garner public support too.

After much pondering, I decided to take the plunge and deal with the press directly. It was not long after the AGM, that the main stream press sought MMA, for views on pertinent matters. I responded immediately with detailed facts and fi gures to back up my stories, and soon all the media, were getting onto the MMA frequency. The calls for interviews and views, from a trickle became a fl ood in no time. I was deluged with them and had to get used to, at least a dozen requests per week. I never failed to respond to everyone of them, day or night, at home or abroad.

Unwritten Rules in Dealing with the Press In dealing with the press, we have to learn their unwritten rules. Of prime importance to the press was time and deadlines. The dailies, will demand immediate response. They will usually want answers over the phone or give an hour or two at the most, unless it is a feature article. Initially, I felt pressured and felt that it should not be so and why should they be so demanding? I had other things to do too! But that is their job, they have to meet deadlines. The editors will impose deadlines to be met. They do not want ‘stale’ news.

You also need to be contactable wherever you are. I remember writing a feature article from Trinidad, whilst on holiday, post-conference. I had spent hours on the feature article “Shisha smoking – Blowing their lives away“ which appeared even before my return. The journalist who

~~~We must

endeavor to get the press on our side and become friends with them. Once we do that,

they take the effort to put the news we submit

in good light

~~~



appreciated my sacrifi ces whilst on holiday, gave the article full page coverage and a positive spin. That article drew the attention of the rest of the media and made MMA much sought after. The journalist became a good, reliable friend and advisor. To date, I have not met the journalist, though I am regularly contacted for news and feature articles.

Similarly. I had to respond to many queries via phone and email to many ‘unknowns’ in the media. Sometimes urgent matters required me to leave meetings even when I was chairing to respond to them. Creation of a bond and rapport with the media, is essential in keeping the communication lines always alive and buzzing.

Another trait that you need to deal with is disappointment. I used to feel annoyed and disappointed that after so much effort, spending hours on research, getting input from many sources, the submitted article does not see print. The journalist does not inform the reasons either. It left a bad taste in my mouth but I learnt to accept reality. You cannot be condescending. It is the prerogative of the media to accept what you write or say. If they were to accept all you wrote or said, it cannot be a quality medium. I learnt to deal with many such rejections. I had to resist the temptation to avoid further contact with the journalist who had rejected my ‘creative masterpiece’. It happened many, many times, being spurned and rejected. We need to develop patience and tolerance in dealing with the media.

The media does not publish what you think is important to the association or to the profession even if adorned with altruism. They publish what their editor feels is of interest to their readers. It is logical to have that as their top priority. We need to view it from their perspective or else it may be painful. The editor and not the journalist concerned has the fi nal say, just as in medical practice – it is the consultant who has the fi nal say, not the houseman or medical offi cer.

Another interesting aspect is that they like to publish exclusive news. They do not like to rehash news that you have submitted to other media earlier or ones that have already been published elsewhere. Even the portal news agencies are particular about it. You need to weigh the options and choose which news daily or portal that your news be published. Once they see articles submitted by you in another news daily, they avoid you. Even statements sent out to all, however important may not published by the other media. The only way you get around this, is to send it to Bernama, the news distributor.

We must endeavor to get the press on our side and become friends with them. Once we do that, they take the effort to put the news we submit in good light. They give it a positive spin. They will even advise us to tone down the criticism or delete certain portions they feel will create controversies. We should assist by not prevaricating or obnubilating. The facts, the main points and issues should be articulated well to get the message across succinctly.

The press does not take advantage of you or make use of you to create sensational news as many allege. The journalist who becomes close to you, would send the draft of the article for which the interview had taken place and will request you to edit, if necessary. It gave me added confi dence and trust in dealing with the media.

The media does not publish all that you say. Sometimes they will cross-check facts especially news involving their big corporate clients from whom they receive subventions in the form of advertisements. They will not publish articles very critical of their clients. It is to be expected. You cannot crack your rice bowl though many may feel this is against the principles of a free press.

I became friends with many journalists, online, even without once seeing them. A few became very close friends, occasionally indulging in empty banter over chat lines. They learn to respect you, as you should of them. That closeness helped me get the best for MMA. We as doctors choose the best option for our patients. They choose the best option for their readers. Once we respect each other’s jurisdiction and role, we can develop a healthy mutually satisfying relationship.

Criticism from MMA Members Having got the taste of some publicity for MMA, I had MMA members, and a few Council members demanding to know why the press did not give coverage on important issues which they felt was important, whilst others even if reported demanded to know why it was not on the front page. A few would send me articles and demand that I get the press to publish it. Preposterous to say the least, but it was repeated many times over, a result of MMA’s successful dalliance with the media.

We cannot use effrontery with the media nor should one become kibitzers to get unwarranted publicity. Fortunately, all the articles that were reported, more than 500 sighted reports, and many unsighted ones, did not create any controversies. If there was, I would have been cooked, roasted and be dumped by the MMA itself.

MMA in the News The MMA was repeatedly covered in all the main stream media. Many were front page news or full page news. There were many editorials that echoed MMA’s views or stance on many issues. The media had recognised the MMA as the potent force and credence of the profession. p


The Star NewspaperThe Star had front-paged, MMA news several times starting with, Doctors want more – Doctors call for 30% hike, 1Malaysia clinics giving migraine to GPs – MMA Chief, Gnawing pains – the rat menace in USM, Fear Factor, Consent form may not be binding, Get smart pills, Temperatures rising.

Prominent full page coverage was given to Lawyer-Doctor. Other prominent news included Deregistration Threat over an ols complaint, Getting message across to patients, Make way for real emergencies, Racist doctors, Fee schedule, Carve tobacco from TPPA, Doctors forced to sign Data Forms, MMA – ’Get smart’ pill is just sugar, Too many doctors too little training, A Quick-Fix to Medical disputes, Effects of overworking, Soothing discomforts, Senior citizens given run around for medicines, MMA says WHO denies imposing 1:400 doctors ratio, Government urged to divert funds to set up 1Malaysia clinics in rural areas (not in urban areas), Exclude tobacco from pact (TPPA), Patients brace for a ‘deeper cut’ – MMA wants to increase fees for specialists procedures, MMA – Build more hospitals to ensure jobs for doctors. There are many other short reports and vignettes about the medical profession as entailed by the MMA.

The New Straits TimesThe NST had front-paged several news about the MMA – No jobs for Medical Graduates Next Year (this hogged as the most read news online for weeks), The Perils of Home Births. Lustful Minors, Bad for your Health (Cost of Healthcare), The skinny on Diet Pills, Halt to New Medical Colleges, Bad for your Health.

There were also many full page feature articles in The Sunday Times carried with input from the MMA – Too many doctors, too few jobs, Up, Close & Personal (with the President of MMA), Slowly Blowing their lives away (Shisha smoking) MMA lauds move on stricter entry to medical colleges, Raising the bar for medical colleges, Hospital Fees must be drawn up.

Others included No hunt for whistle-blower of hospital (Sg Buloh) says Minister, Ensure affordable health-care, Formulate standards for the centres (dialysis), Doctors asked to be exempted from

Data Protection Act, and many more.

The NST had quoted the

MMA in many of its editorials, most

important being Nations Medical

Imperative – Do not compromise quality

of doctors to keep colleges running.

Malay Mail Malay Mail had covered many controversial topics, giving MMA lots of positives from members and the public. Amongst the Front page news was – MMA deregistration allegations an old issue, MMA lambasts racial doctor accusation, (Penang Doctors) Sickening mess – EMGS, Profi t sharing fi asco, Foreign student uproar, Unpardonable to cage man, Remove it from TPPA, Dengue, Haze, MMA says WHO denies imposing 1:400 ratio, MMA demands removal of Air-Asia Ads.

The Sun

Amongst news that was given prominence were Don’t switch doctors, Supports sugar subsidy withdrawal, Fee Schedule.

Borneo Post, Sabah Times, Harian Metro, Sinar Harian, Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, and Kosmo covered MMA on many issues

Bernama, a news distributor helped MMA with submission of a news to all dailies giving maximum publicity in addition to providing TV coverage.

Vernacular

Chinese dailiesSin Chew daily, China Press and the Nanyang gave regular coverage to the MMA.

TamilTamil Nesan, Malaysian Nanban, Thinakkural, Makkal Osai Nam Naadu were the Tamil dailies that gave regular coverage to MMA, the front page occasionally.

Online portalsMalaysian Insider, Malaysian Chronicle, Malaysiakini, Malaysian Gazette, Free Malaysia Today, Nut Graph, Rakyat Post, Heat, FM Post, also carried news on the MMA. Personal Data Act which mainstream media shunned was given prominence by many online portals notably the Fz.com.

News Magazines

The Focus, the Edge, Business Times also featured articles by MMA, FOMEMA, EMGS, Dispensing – Separation Woes, Too Many Medical Colleges amongst others.

BlogsThere were scores of blogs that always quoted MMA. The most prominent being, too many doctors, too few jobs. Too many medical colleges, Falling standards of medical education.

Political PartiesThe Barisan National parties most notably the MCA carried MMA’s views on many issues.

Opposition News MMA was also quoted in the Harakkah, a PAS publication, Rocket-DAP publication and Teresa Kok’s blog, Gobind Singh Deo’s Facebook page, State Assembly – Perak, Penang, Selangor amongst others.

the centres (dasked to be

Data Protm

Tq

Mits

impoNatio

Impercompro

of doccolleges

Radio/TVAstro Awani and BFM have broadcasted live interviews while, RTM, TV3, Astro Tamil have given recorded news on the airwaves as regards MMA.

Overseas news Malaysian Health news raised by the MMA was reported in the Jakarta Post, Straits Times (Singapore), Asia One News (Singapore), The Establishment Post (ASEAN publication), Bloomberg BNA, ABN News, Asia News Network, Yahoo News, Google News, MSN News, World University News, Study Headlines UK, and News UK 24. They had picked these news from Malaysian sources. A few had Skyped and used other means of online interviews including WhatsApp, WeChat, Viber, Wifi Chat, FB, Twitter, and the usual email interviews.

Results The many views of the MMA have been heard by those relevant bodies. The MoH has grown to call MMA as the only professional body for all relevant meetings. The Minister himself has acknowledged MMA’s contributions and constructive criticisms. Any level-minded person even in the portals of power is persuaded to accept criticism if it is done appropriately. The MoH perfectly understands that just as there are laurels there would be an occasional brickbat, otherwise it would verge on hypocrisy.

One particular very strident objection by MMA about Air Asia’s advert on ’lousy nurses‘ drew massive public support and appreciation from the nurses. Air Asia apologised publicly for the oversight. So did large corporations like Zuellig Pharma and DKSH, relented after MMA’s criticism, and in addition to apologising went the extra mile by spending thousands of ringgit to replace the PDA required consent form which MMA found objectionable and condescending.

The MMA has been regularly sought after for views by all main stream media including the TV portals. The online portals also were keen to furrow and rummage news from the MMA. In addition, many overseas dailies and magazines have sought MMA’s views.

Facebook – The Social Media The Malaysian Medical Association Facebook was launched after much hesitation as there was the pervasive belief that it could be a venue for misuse and abuse. Others were downright skeptical of the idea. Notwithstanding the negative vibes, the FB was launched on 14 July 2013. It

has been a great hit with members and the public. We decided to open it to all doctors and the public. The numbers will be trimmed away slowly and only restricted to members when the full quota is reached.

At print time it probably will reach 2,300 likes, in 8 months, instead of our estimate of a year to reach that target of 2,000. This is a measurement of the

popularity of the Malaysian Medical Association FB. This popularity has drawn imitators who have formed a rival page, with the MMA in brackets after the full version of the MMA. There is also no logo in the impostor’s page.

Most posts average about 1,000 hits now. One post by the President defending the profession against an article in The Star titled, Beware of Unethical Doctors, drew almost 30,000 hits. A few others have crossed the 5,000 mark.

It is an interactive medium which many members do not avail of. The President is personally and solely in charge of the Facebook administration, giving members the chance to send queries and issues directly with almost spontaneous response. It is an onerous task requiring immense sacrifi ce and effort but it is a challenge and pleasure serving members in this way.

Groups like the MPCN (Malaysian Primary Care Network) or MPCAM, MIMPA (Malaysian Integrated Medical Professionals Association) Malaysian Medical Network, DOBBS, the Malaysian Medical Resources and even the M’sia RN (Malaysian Nurses) take an active interest in the affairs of the MMA. They have linked MMA FB to their FB pages. The bonds between the MMA and these groups are growing. The profession should seek them and become UNITED in giving out one voice. We are being heard and should continue doing so.

MMA has issued a couple of statements in support of the allied professionals. We are in the same fraternity and need to support one another.

Conclusion The MMA has succeeded in dallying with the press and media. This tryst should continue in a long term ‘relationship’. It must be cemented. Only then will MMA become a relevant and respected body. MMA should continue to exert its views on all matters affecting the profession including speaking and standing up for them. To fulfi ll that we need to embrace the media with tender loving care.



Datuk Dr Kuljit [email protected]

Hon. General Secretary

8exco • secretary’s notes 11

HON. GENERAL SECRETARY’S NOTES

As usual, we were being fed with some sudden news come late February/early March 2014. The Parliament had made a decision at the end of 2013

to implement a 14.4% fee hike for all doctors. It was not a planned announcement but a sudden one, informing us that we now have a new schedule. With social media, the news travelled faster than the worst bushfi re one could even fathom. The main question of the day was, when can we start? Private hospitals and insurance companies were worried about the repercussion from the sudden unannounced increase, but of course it was subsequently made offi cial.

Doctors had mixed reactions as expected. Many were satisfi ed with the amount raised and very clearly stated that it was better than nothing. But some felt there was no revision of codes with newer procedures thus it was not benefi cial. Surprisingly there were many doctors who hated the new fees and felt the earlier and outdated one was much better as the avenue of fl exibility was available.

The panic mainly stemmed from the General Practitioners (GPs) who were concerned that the increase of their consultation fees (estimated range of RM35 to RM125) may further decrease their patient load. The GPs fear that there may be a decline in patients for them as more will begin to visit Government clinics like the 1Malaysia Clinic which opens till 10.00 pm daily.

It is amazing to see the different levels of excitement and dismay the doctors have displayed. But with all honesty, our fees remain affordable when compared to other services and goods. We can accept the fact that the poor will never be able to afford private healthcare but surely the public healthcare will be there for all classes of patients.

We hope the new fees will instill some initiatives among doctors to further practice ethically and provide good care to their patients. Let us deliver a precise system to justify the cost of private healthcare, and help patients see that it is indeed worthwhile.

Branch AGMsWe are now concluding the branch AGMs within the limited amount of time allocated before the national general meeting itself. The members at the branch levels are at present, attempting to make some change to the line-up of their committees. Members today are concerned with leadership and performance matters. Most doctors who are members are busy and not many are willing to sacrifi ce for their fellow professionals in terms of time and personal income.

Everything is smooth-running and we hope to have a good turnout at Johor during the Annual General Meeting. All members must make it a point to attend both the branch and main AGM as your support counts.

New Fees for Doctors:Are We Happy or Otherwise?

Dato’ Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan, Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh and Dr Krishna Kumar attending Organising Committee Meeting early March 2014.

8 exco • secretary’s notes

GST and Data Protection ActThe ExCo, with the leadership of our President Dato’ Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan, has been persistently following-up on these two issues with the authorities. We know both have now been deemed law (though GST is still in its fi nal debate), but fi ne-tuning and refi ning for doctors is being processed.

MMA managed to speak to the CEOs of the two leading pharmaceutical product-distributing companies, and both have agreed that some amount of adjustments would be made to the letters of acceptance for this issue.

Bottom line, if one has the data of patients or clients with some commercial intent, then it is important to be registered with the Data Protection Act Department.

Unity with DoctorsAs one grows successful, there is always a good chance that one may choose to go his or her own way and refuse to support another entity. But unity is the most powerful weapon for any organisation. The strength helps us to move on in life.

We must try to assemble all senior and junior members and project as one voice, just like how it used to be done long ago. It is not our intention to cause trouble by uniting but it is fundamental that our voices be heard.

ConclusionMy hope is to strengthen the fraternity for all doctors. This can only happen through unity and not just via communication. Your physical attendance is important at the upcoming national AGM in Johor.

At the MMA Johor AGM on 23 March 2014, representing President of MMA.

~~~We hope the new fees

will instill some initiatives among doctors to

further practice ethically and provide good care

to their patients

~~~

12


Dr Azizan binti Abdul [email protected]

Hon. General Treasurer

A Summary of Financial Updates

exco • the treasurer14

My one year term as the Honorary General Treasurer of MMA for

the 2013-2014 period is coming to an end; that is till the 54th AGM from 29 May to 31 May 2014. I am offering myself as a candidate for the post of Honorary General Secretary for the term 2014-2015 in the next MMA Election at the AGM.

It has been a very busy year with many meetings to attend on various issues, and dealing with the newly appointed external accountant, tax agent, and external auditors that were approved by the Council or ExCo.

The external accountant highlighted on the substantial tax recoverable from the Inland Revenue Board (IRB), which was the excess tax paid to IRB that has not been followed-up with. The excess payment occurred from 1993 to 2012, involving a number of years amounting to RM363,307.25. Currently the new tax agent is working hard in getting the amount due in stages from IRB. The earliest payment expected is in April 2014. In investigating the tax recoverable from the IRB, it was discovered that for one particular year, MMA had to pay a penalty of RM17,669.65 for a late submission and also for unpaid installments (of that existing year).

On another pending issue, the external auditor has advised for us to establish a provision for doubtful debts of RM410,179.00 due to the long outstanding balances from the publication of Berita, MJM, Annual

Reports, and also other receivables. This includes the money-owing from Advertisers for advertisements in those publications. All this would require follow-up by the staff in order to recover the payments. A provision in accounts is referred to as a process by which a certain amount is set aside from the current year’s profi ts to meet future uncertain liabilities or losses. As a result of this provision, the year 2013’s profi t will be reduced.

On issue of bad debts being written off, a proper documentary of evidence should be kept and there should also be legal notices sent to the debtor.

The IRB expects all reasonable steps, which includes one or more of the following, to be taken to recover the debt before a deduction for a bad debt write off is given:• Issuing reminder notices.• Debt restructuring scheme.• Rescheduling of debt settlement.• Negotiation or arbitration of a

disputed debt.• Legal action (fi ling of civil suit,

obtaining judgement from the Court and execution of the judgement).

To support the claim of tax deduction, the taxpayer should maintain suffi cient documentary evidence.

The IRB will consider a debt to be bad after reasonable steps for recovery have been taken. Any one of the following circumstances would

be considered :

• The debtor has passed away without leaving any assets.

• The debtor is bankrupt or in liquidation.

• The debt is statute-barred.

• The debtor has absconded and cannot be traced.

• Attempts at negotiation with the debtor has failed and the cost of litigation in respect of the disputed debt is high.

• Any other circumstances where it is not cost effective to recover the debt.

My aim is to make members aware of the pending issues which I am happy to clarify at the AGM if requested to.

Finally, I would like to thank all ExCo and Council members for their cooperation in dealing with Finance matters and also thank you to all MMA members in general for giving me the opportunity to serve as the Honorary General Treasurer of MMA.

~~~My aim is to make

members aware of the pending issues which I am happy to clarify at

the AGM if requested to

~~~


8exco • deputy secretary 15

For that matter, wherein lies the future of medical doctors in this country of ours? Ever since the fi rst day that I became active in MMA more than a decade ago,

the issue of the transformation of healthcare in Malaysia has been debated, discussed and thrashed out both within and without the confi nes of the Ministry of Health.

Everything nearly came to a standstill or rather engagements with relevant stakeholders almost ceased when the Tak Nak 1Care campaign took off a couple of years back. The Ministry of Health then went on roadshows in different states to enlighten stakeholders on the need of a healthcare transformation. I believe that the roadshows may have fi zzled out since then.

Many still have the notion that an eventual healthcare transformation will take place, whether we like it or not. Our healthcare system may be lauded as being among the best in the world, and there are many who insist that no changes are needed.

But “Change is the Only Constant Thing in this World”. The issues facing everyone in healthcare now is different from what was faced years ago.

The number of doctors and other allied healthcare personnel are increasing day by day and the way they will impact our healthcare system is unprecedented. The current healthcare system is grappling with this issue amidst growing concerns from all those involved with the provision of healthcare in this country.

As the recipients of healthcare, namely the patients, continue to demand for greater accessibility as well as an increased expectation of quality in healthcare, and that too at a low cost, there are bound to be changes enforced on the system in tandem with consumer demands. There is no way that we in the healthcare system can remain isolated from all these.

Back to the 11th Malaysia Plan; our country is now facing the fi nal phase in its run up to achieving the status of a Developed Nation by year 2020.

In what is described as “Teras 6: Meningkat Kesejahteraan Rakyat (Improving Well-Being)”, we have a total of 10 areas under the Group:Healthcare (Penjagaan Kesihatan), namely:

1 Menurunkan Beban Penyakit (Reducing Disease Burden)

2 Meningkatkan Pemerkasaan Komuniti (Enhancing Community Empowerment)

3 Memupuk Perkongsian Awam-Swasta (Fostering Public-Private Partnership)

4 Memperkukuh Penjagaan Kesihatan Primer (Strengthening of Primary Healthcare)

5 Perancangan, Pembangunan dan Latihan Sumber Manusia Kesihatan (Health Human Resource Planning, Development and Training)

6 Kualiti dan Keselamatan Penjagaan Kesihatan (Quality and Safety in Healthcare)

7 Keselamatan dan Kualiti Makanan & Persekitaran Sihat (Food Quality & Safety and Healthy Environment)

8 Mengoptimakan Sumber Penjagaan Kesihatan (Optimising Healthcare Resources)

9 Perancangan dan Pembangunan Fasiliti Kesihatan (Health Facility Planning and Development)

10 Perancangan dan Pembangunan Teknologi Komunikasi Maklumat (Information Communication Technology)

These essentially cover most aspects in the need to have a healthcare system that is improved and can be said to be a healthcare system that is befi tting for a country with a developed nation status by year 2020.

But will all these end up as empty words and remain as nothing more than a vision? It remains to be seen, but for the sake of the health of this country, we do hope that there will be strides forward in ensuring we have an eventual healthcare system that we can be proud of.

In the Gantt Chart on the preparation of RMK-11 (11th Malaysia Plan), a dialogue (Input Kertas Isu dan Strategi) with stakeholders has been slated for April 8-9, 2014. It is fervently hoped that most of the stakeholders will be represented and the subject be well discussed in an objective manner.

I end this with a wish that MMA be involved in further discussions on this subject matter, not that all proposals made by MMA may be adopted but at the very least, be allowed participation in this very important process of improving the healthcare system of our nation.

Wherein Lies the Direction of Healthcarein the 11th Malaysia Plan?

Dr Koh Kar [email protected]. Deputy Secretary


schomos16

1st National SCHOMOS Climbathon 2014

A Memorable Journey to the Summit of Mount Kinabalu

The National SCHOMOS Climbathon 2014 stood fi rst in many ways. It was the fi rst time SCHOMOS

organised a national level charity project and the fi rst of many more national level SCHOMOS outdoor activities to come. It was the fi rst time for many to set foot in Sabah and for most of the participants it was their fi rst climb up Mount Kinabalu, the highest summit in Malaysia.

We had 46 doctors from all walks of life who had signed-up for this charity climb but unfortunately two of them could not pursue the challenge due to medical reasons. It was a vibrant team of doctors who were all full of energy and enthusiasm, led by the MMA President, Dato’ Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan himself on a mission to climb Mount Kinabalu which stands at a prestigious 4095.2 metres above sea level. The vision behind this mission was to project the message that MMA cares for the poor and the underprivileged besides being a reminder for doctors to stay fi t.

After months of sleepless nights and meticulous planning, the SCHOMOS dream had fi nally become a reality. The event kicked-off on 4 February 2014 with all participants from West Malaysia and Sarawak fl ying in to the ‘land below the wind’. Upon landing, they were zoomed-off on a 2-hour ride to Sutera Sanctuary Lodges at Kinabalu Park. This anomalous resort stands at a majestic 1585 meters above sea level. After the participants registered, they were given time to

relax/enjoy the comforts and luxury of the chalets. Later in the evening, all participants gathered for a short briefi ng, and a CME session. We were lucky to have two esteemed speakers deliver the CME. Dr Samihah Abdul Karim, a Sports Medicine Specialist from Hospital Queen Elizabeth delivered the fi rst speech on ‘High Altitude Medical Problems’ and the second speaker Dr Alzamani Idrose, an Emergency Physician and expert in Emergency Mountain Medicine from Hospital Kuala Lumpur shared his experience in escorting the Malaysian team to the Everest Base Camp. He also recapped on ‘Acute Mountain Sickness’. Following that, we had a short briefi ng by the mountain rangers of the Sabah Park. Subsequently we adjourned to the Liwagu restaurant for our scrumptious buffet dinner. We also surprised Dr Florence Lee, a Medical Offi cer from the Emergency Department of Hospital Umum Sarawak with a birthday cake. After the mouthwatering dinner, the participants received their offi cial SCHOMOS Climbathon 2014 t-shirts and the sponsored items before calling it a night.

The next morning, we were up early for a round of warm-up exercises before we proceeded with the offi cial opening ceremony. Dato’ Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan, the President of MMA, delivered a welcoming speech and offi ciated the 1st National SCHOMOS Climbathon 2014 along with Dr Ganabaskaran, President of PPSMMA, Dr K. Sivakumar, National SCHOMOS Vice-President, and Dr Sentilnathan, Organising Chairman of the charity climb. The Top 3 collectors for the Climbathon Donation Card drive, Dr Hasrina Hassan, Dr Vasanthi Selvaraju and Dr Lim Jean Li were each presented with a prize. Without further delay, we had a quick buffet breakfast, took our packed lunch and made our way to the Timpohon Gate at 9.00 am where the real journey to the summit began.

We ascended in groups with old and new friends, chatting away, posing for photographs and enjoying the rich fl ora and fauna of Mount Kinabalu. The trail was 8.7 km long and we were scheduled to cover 6 km on the fi rst day in order to reach Laban Rata and put up for the night. It was an adventurous climb up

Dr Sentilnathan [email protected]

ChairmanOrganising Committee

SCHOMOS Climbathon 2014

S til th S b


thousands of huge rocky steps and a tough laterite terrain. At 4 km we got news that one of our team members who was at the 2 km point suffered severe dyspepsia and was strongly advised to rescind the climb. He was escorted down by the mountain guide and attended to by the medical standby team from Hospital Ranau, which was headed by Dr Samihah.

With 43 doctors left in the team, we continued to make our way up Mount Kinabalu. As we climbed higher, the trail got rockier and the air became thinner making it more challenging but with burning determination, teamwork and encouragement from fellow members, all 43 doctors made it up to Laban Rata

safely. We were lucky because Mother Nature was on our side, blessing us with clear skies and sun throughout the journey. The fi rst group reached at 2.00 pm and the last group reached at 7.00 pm. After a quick meal at Laban Rata, everyone rushed to bed in a bid to rest their sore quadriceps and prepare for the last stretch of the ‘BIG’ climb the following day.

It was a cold, dark and windy morning; the temperature was 3 degree celcius. All 43 enthusiastic climbers were up by 1.30 am, covered-up in layers of clothes, gloves, beanies and armed with headlights and alpenstocks. We had a light supper and started the

journey from Laban Rata at 2.45 am. We ascended up 1 km of pure steep steps and suddenly the steps came to an end with the remaining 1.7 km of the trail to the summit being hardcore rock-climbing using ropes! Determination and perseverance played a big role. Personally I felt, going up was easier as it was dark and we could barely see what was below us. This is by far the toughest challenge I have ever endured but it was all worth it. Watching the sunrise at 6.30 am on a perfect weather and standing way above the clouds while witnessing the change of colours on the rocks as the sun lighted-up the mountain, was a magnifi cent sight. All I can say is God is Great.

The last 500 meters to the peak was literally a crawl up a huge pile of rocks before we reached the long awaited Low’s Peak at 4095.2 metres above sea level. Upon reaching the peak, happiness overwhelmed our hearts; so much that we forgot how fatigued we were and instead started posing for photographs with smiles from ear to ear. It was then that I realised the meaning behind the quote, “The difference between impossible and possible lies in a man’s determination.””.

After a short break, we started to descend back to Laban Rata. The descend seemed a lot scarier compared to the ascend because we could actually see that the trail was paved along edges of huge rocks. The thought of food awaiting us at Laban Rata motivated us to maneuver through the tough terrain and make our way down. Participants

had lunch and rested a while before pursuing the second part of the descent in groups. This was taxing to the knees and the feet due to the irregular rocks and the huge steps. The participants helped each other to keep going and fi nally after 6 hours of trekking downhill, we reached the Timpohon gate all safe and sound. We were so proud of ourselves

for having accomplished this charity climb and for being the largest group of doctors to climb Mount Kinabalu.

I would like to congratulate the Organising Committee and all participants of the National SCHOMOS Climbathon 2014 for this spectacular victory. Being the wisest among the 43 doctors who summited Mount Kinabalu, Dato’ Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan proved that age is never a limiting factor as long as there is a burning desire within oneself to achieve their goals. He is an inspiring leader and

the fi rst MMA President to have set foot at the highest peak in Malaysia.

SCHOMOS would also like to express our sincere thanks to all those who have generously donated to this charity cause. A special thanks goes out to our sponsors, namely, Malaysian Medical Association, MMA Foundation, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Sabah State Government, Sutera Sanctuary Lodges, Mahkota Medical Centre, Pharmaniaga, Ramsay Sime Darby Healthcare, GlaxoSmithKline Malaysia, International Medical University, and Delfi Marketing Sdn Bhd, as without their kindheartedness we would not have been able to make this event a success. SCHOMOS managed to generate RM 30,000 for charity via this event and these donations will be handed out to the selected six worthy organisations during the upcoming 54th National MMA AGM in Johor Bharu this May 2014.

In summary, the 1st National SCHOMOS Climbathon was a great success and an amazing experience for both organisers and the participants. It gave us a chance to make new friends and meet many amazing people. It was heartwarming to see how the participants worked as a team to make it to the top. Let’s make this charity event an annual affair and that only means one thing. It is time for the SCHOMOS team to start planning the 2nd National SCHOMOS Climbathon 2015 … to the Pinnacles of Gunung Mulu in Sarawak perhaps ?


pps18

By Dr Koh Kar ChaiVice-ChairmanPPS

Unitab Sdn Bhd says that all FOMEMA panel clinics which are providing chest X-ray facilities are encouraged to go digital.

New Fee Schedule: GPs’ consultation fees have increased to a new range of RM 35 to RM 125.

MMA GP Forum: Participants are eligible for refunds of their registration fees, though the PPS Chairman hopes that participants will allow their fees to remain with MMA as part of their contribution to the activities of PPSMMA. Those desirous of claiming their refunds will need to contact the MMA secretariat before or on 30 April, 2014.

PPSMMA has formally requested that PERKESO review the fee structure for PERKESO Panel doctors which has not been reviewed since 2003.

A reminder to be ethical when it comes to the issue of medical certifi cates.

Deadline for reimbursement of GP seminar fees: 30 April 2014.

MMA protests the need for private doctors to register as data users under the Personal Data Protection Act. However, doctors are advised to register pending a potential review on this matter.

Psychotropic drugs: Unscrupulous doctors will lead to increased regulatory activities and restrictions on the availability of such drugs to the GPs.

The service contracts of locum doctors from the private sector at “Klinik 1Malaysia Kerinchi JKWPKL&P” will not be renewed at the end of 2014 as all permanent Medical Offi cer positions in the Ministry of Health have been fi lled-up and MOs have been placed at relevant 1Malaysia Clinics.

All MMA members having payment diffi culties with Medijaring are requested to send in their details to [email protected] as soon as possible.

MMA has voiced out that the implementation of GST would further burden GPs.

Snippets from PPSMMA


World Health Day 2014Small Bite: Big Threat

Prof Dr Krishna Gopal [email protected] of Community MedicinePerdana University Graduate School of MedicineLife Member MMA

Every year World Health Day is celebrated on the 7th of April. This day marks the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1948. In conjunction with

World Health Day a theme is selected and targeted at a priority area of public health. It is interesting that this year the WHO has chosen to send out the message “Small Bite: Big Threat” highlighting vector-borne diseases, a threat very close to home, with cases of dengue reaching an all-time high in the country.

The aim of the World Health Day campaign this year is to raise awareness about the dangers posed by vectors and vector-borne diseases. The campaign is aimed at achieving the following: increasing awareness among families living in and travellers going to areas where diseases are transmitted by vectors on how to protect themselves; getting ministries of health to implement measures to protect their people in countries where vector-borne diseases are a public health problem, and for health authorities to improve surveillance of vectors and take measures to prevent their proliferation where vector-borne diseases are an impending threat.

The campaign is also timely noting that a resolution passed at the Sixty-Sixth World Health Assembly held in May 2013 urged member states to reach the targets agreed in the Global Plan to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) 2008–2015. The goal of the Global Plan is to prevent, control, eliminate or eradicate NTDs e.g. dengue, Japanese Encephalitis, leishmaniases. However it is clear that these NTDs have not been eradicated nor eliminated and efforts to prevent and control need to be improved.

Malaysia is currently facing a major threat from dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever. There were 43,346 dengue cases in 2013, a 98% increase when compared to the 21,900 cases reported in 2012. The number of dengue cases in the fi rst two months of this year has been three times those for the same period last year. Globally, dengue cases are increasing and being reported in areas where they had not previously been seen. An increase in the number of cases of dengue has also been reported in other ASEAN countries. This surge in the number of the cases is of great concern to authorities in the region.

Aggressive measures are being taken by the Ministry of Health. The I-Dengue website (http://idengue.remotesensing.gov.my), developed using remote sensing technology and geographic information system, was launched last year in June by the Ministry of Health, to provide the Malaysian public with the latest information on dengue hot spots in the country and on measures to avoid getting the disease. The Deputy Prime Minister, early in March this year, highlighted the role of the public saying that

“local authorities have their laws, but laws alone are not enough if the Rakyat don’t follow, what more if they don’t take steps to clean up their areas. Education and awareness are important, aside from continued enforcement”. The Government has community-driven neighbourhood cleaning programmes to destroy breeding sites of Aedes mosquitoes. However the Minister of Health is not pleased about the efforts of the public, “I’m still not satisfi ed with the ‘attitude’ of our people because I do not see the involvement of local communities in dengue eradication programmes organised by the ministry. If they do not get involved, efforts to eliminate Aedes breeding places will not be fully achieved.” The Government has also ordered local clinics in dengue “hot spot” areas to extend their operating hours and residents in these areas are also being advised to wear long sleeves and use mosquito repellent.

The question is how medical practitioners in the country can contribute to addressing this dengue threat. Medical practitioners when managing fever cases may want to use the opportunity to educate their patients with respects to dengue. They should keep themselves abreast of clinical practice guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health with respect to the management of the patients. They should not fail to notify dengue cases, as required by the law, as notifi cation is crucial for dengue surveillance and disease control. While I have highlighted the threat of dengue, we must not forget on this World Health Day, to look into and address other vector-borne diseases faced by the Malaysian population.

~~~Medical practitioners when managing

fever cases may want to use the opportunity to educate their patients

with respects to dengue

~~~

features 19

features20


Returning Expert Programme:

Impact on Malaysian Healthcare System

“Since TalentCorp took over the Returning Expert Programme (REP) in 2011, we have

approved 2500 REP applications from overseas-based Malaysian professionals in the last 3 years as compared to 1130 REP applications approved from 2001-2010. This upward trend, I believe, demonstrates the confi dence that top talent have for Malaysia’s economic transformation. About 10% of the REPs are in the healthcare sector, with a quarter of them employed in the Public Sector, either the Ministry of Health or the Universities,’’ said Johan Mahmood Merican, the Chief Executive Offi cer of Talent Corporation Malaysia (TalentCorp) in an interview with the Editor of Berita MMA on 7 February 2014.

TalentCorp was established in 2011 to formulate and facilitate initiatives to address the availability of talent in line with the needs of the country’s

Economic Transformation Programme, thereby achieving the objective of a high-income nation by 2020. TalentCorp initiatives are based on 3 strategic thrusts: fi rstly, optimising Malaysian talent, second: attracting and facilitating global talent, and third: building networks of top talent.

There are several programmes initiated by TalentCorp: Career Awareness, Sector Focussed Career Fair, Graduate Employability Management Scheme, Structured Internship Programme, Upskilling Programme, and Women in the Workforce. TalentCorp started administering the REP in January 2011, 10 years after it was fi rst introduced in January 2001.

There have been rumblings amongst some senior doctors, especially from the private sector. The ‘’parachuting’’ of a so-called expert who had just returned from overseas on the REP.

By Dato’ Pahlawan Dr R. [email protected]

~~~TalentCorp was

established in 2011 to formulate and

facilitate initiatives to address the availability of

talent in line with the needs of the

country’s Economic Transformation

Programme

~~~

Mr Johan Mahmood Merican, the CEO of TalentCorp.

(This article is based on an interview with Mr Johan Mahmood Merican, the CEO of TalentCorp with the Editor Berita MMA on 7 Feb 2014)


“What’s so special about him/her, I have had the same qualifi cations and many more years of experience’’ quipped one, ’’I don’t see a shortage in this hospital’’ said another. Johan confi rmed that TalentCorp works together with the public and private sectors in the healthcare industry to assess health manpower needs. He explains senior offi cials of the Ministry of Health and leading private hospitals have been part of the TalentCorp delegation overseas. While the selection and interview processes were done by the Ministry and hospitals themselves, TalentCorp plays an active role in assisting these professionals for their return. Johan emphasised that TalentCorp advises all potentially returning medical doctors and specialists well in advance to ensure that they register with the Malaysian Medical Council and their specialist qualifi cations in the National Specialist Register, especially to be eligible for the REP.

On the issue of medical offi cers returning on the REP, he assures the word ‘’Expert”’ is to denote this category of returnees in all professions, and not merely the medical profession. Working together with the employers, TalentCorp aims to connect employers with the right talent based on the demand and expertise needed by the employers. To be eligible for the REP currently, doctors will be assessed by the Ministry of Health to ensure that they are recognised specialists (e.g. with a Certifcate of Completion of Training, CCT, from UK) and will need to have at least been working overseas continuously for the last 3 years. In addition to this, TalentCorp works closely with the Ministry of Health who deliberates the approvals of applicants from the Healthcare sector. This is to ensure the right talent pool is facilitated through this programme, and a matching is made in demand and supply.

The incentives received by the returnees have been questioned by the ‘’stay put’’ professionals but really, when you talk to some returnees, these are small! The REP allows a fl at income-tax rate of 15% for 5 years for all returnees and tax exemption on 2 locally manufactured or locally assembled cars. TalentCorp facilitates the Permanent Residency for the foreign spouse and children, obtainable in 6 months.

One returnee remarked, “Relocating back here is expensive, especially after more than 10 years overseas. We do not get a relocation allowance, hence the 15% fl at rate is helpful.” On the tax-free cars, one said,’ “I would have preferred to bring back the car I was using over there, but that is not allowed. I had to sell it off cheap! I wanted a particular locally assembled car, but that was not available within the window period permitted, and I ended up buying a car just like anybody else. So why the fuss about the incentives, they are minimal!’’.

On International Schools, regulations have been relaxed now, and it is not exclusive to expatriates or Malaysian returnees. It is open to all Malaysians.

On a suggestion by some senior medical professionals for returning doctors to undergo a short stint in Government service so as to understand the local healthcare system, Johan explained such policies are not within the purview of TalentCorp. He also emphasised that TalentCorp does not provide job placement or negotiate remunerations for the returnees, but only act as facilitators so that the returnees can settle into the back-home environment as quickly as possible. One returnee had this compliment to give: The TalentCorp letterhead was well accepted in all his dealing with Government agencies. There was no spin around!

Johan also added while there are concerns on the returnees and the benefi ts they receive, at the end of the day, what TalentCorp is doing is really to drive the country towards Vision 2020’s mission to emerge as a high-income developed nation for the benefi t of all Malaysians. How this translates in the context of their individual programmes, such as the REP, is that by fulfi lling the demand for expertise in an industry, when successful, this will support the growth of the sector which in turn will contribute to national wealth and success.

In the fi nal analysis, looking at returning numbers, the benefi ts of the REP, and the concerns expressed by local medical professionals, the REP may be useful as a stopgap measure. Making sure that the specialists are being trained in adequate numbers by the Medical Education system would be most important. At the same time, let us not forget that these returnees are also fellow MALAYSIANS!

~~~In the final analysis, looking at returning numbers, the benefits of the REP, and

the concerns expressed by local medical professionals, the REP may be useful as a

stopgap measure

~~~

TalentCorp CEO with Editor, Berita MMA.


54th mma agm22


Informal Night Theme:Arabian Night Greetings from Johor.

We have come very near to our 54th MMA AGM, and before we realise it, it will be end of May and we will once again be actively proposing/countering suggestions, discussing/planning our resolutions, putting forward differing views, and highlighting issues that need attention – all for the benefi t of our association.

This event has become an occasion we members look forward to every year, as it is not only a formal meeting but also a gathering ground for old friends and classmates. It is also an opportunity for the young to learn from the old, and for the juniors to get to know their seniors and aspire to achieve the same level of success. This is a good time to break away from your daily routine, earn your CME points and enjoy the meeting.

In case you prefer alternative hotels nearby, some suggestions are Hotel Tropical Inn, Thistle Hotel, Eden Garden Hotel, Berjaya Waterfront Hotel, M-Suites Hotel, and Grand Blue Wave Hotel. As for budget hotels, I would not advise anything located within the Wong Ah Fook area because it is not family-friendly. The only recommended budget hotels are Orange Inn and Amansari. Please check the reviews fi rst before booking any of the hotels. In my honest opinion, Tropical Inn may be a bit run down , and a nicer option would be Thistle. Grand Blue Wave has apartments too, check it out online!

The theme for our informal night will be “ARABIAN NIGHT” so dress up for the occasion and be ready to party ! Call up your friends, tell them about the AGM, encourage them to come and join the fun.

We will be setting up a booth to attend to your needs during those three days. Any queries and advice needed can be obtained from our HELP BOOTH! The r egistration day will be on 2 May 2014, and goodie bags will be distributed. You may choose to register on the last day but you might not get some of the goodies as we would need some time ahead to prepare and print certain things etc. Please try to register for the games (especially golfers) before the 2nd of May, as we will not be taking in any more game requests after that.

We have worked hard for this AGM and I hope you can make it successful by taking part. I assure you an enjoyable time with the preparations we have made. I also hope that you will be able to notify friends with lapsed memberships to renew their membership if they wish to be delegates and attend the AGM.

Those interested in private transportation to Singapore or car rentals may contact Mr Veng @ 010-225 5521.

Help us make this AGM successful.

Programme29 May (Thursday)

0900 – 1200 Registration/Visits/Sports Event

1200 – 1300 Lunch Symposium

1300 – 1400 Lunch

1400 – 1600 SCHOMOS and PPS AGM

1600 – 1700 Tea and Offi ciating of Booths

1700 – 1900 HOSPITALITY SUITE

1900 – 2000 MMA Oration

2000 – 2300 State Dinner


30 May (Friday)

0800 – 0900 Breakfast Symposium

0900 – 1030 Opening Ceremony of AGM

0900 – 1200 MMA Elections

1030 – 1130 Tea Break and Photo Session


1300 – 1445 Lunch/Friday Prayers

1445 – 1700 AGM Continues

1700 – 1900 Tea Break/HOSPITALITY SUITE

2000 – 2300 National Banquet


31 May (Saturday)

0800 – 0900 Breakfast Symposium


1030 – 1100 Tea Break



1300 – 1400 Lunch


1630 – 1730 Tea Break

2000 – 2300 Fellowship Night – Arabian Night Theme

Dr Muruga Raj [email protected] Johor

~~~We have worked hard for this

AGM and I hope you can make it successful by taking part

~~~

The Hotel Registration Form has been printed in the earlier Berita (March issue, Vol. 44 No. 3) and can also be downloaded from the MMA website: www.mma.org.my


Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Age: __________

IC Number: ______________________________________ MMA Membership Number: _______________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________________ Postcode: ______________

State: ______________________________________________________________________ Offi cial Delegate: □ Yes □ No

Contact Number: (O) ___________________________ (H) __________________________ (HP) __________________________

Email: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Vegetarian: □ Yes □ No Attending National Banquet: □ Yes □ No Attending State Dinner: □ Yes □ No

Spouse’s Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

IC Number: _____________________________________________________ Offi cial Delegate (If Applicable): □ Yes □ No

State: _____________________________________ MMA Membership Number (If applicable): _________________________

Contact Number: (O) ___________________________ (H) __________________________ (HP) __________________________

Email: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Vegetarian □ Yes □ No Attending National Banquet: □ Yes □ No Attending State Dinner: □ Yes □ No

(Meals are included for registered members and registered spouses)

ACCOMPANYING CHILDREN AND GUEST(s): Gender: Vegetarian:

Name: _______________________________________________ IC: ____________________ □ M □ F □ Yes □ No

Name: _______________________________________________ IC: ____________________ □ M □ F □ Yes □ No

Name: _______________________________________________ IC: ____________________ □ M □ F □ Yes □ No

MEALS (Excluding member and spouse) : • Extra meals chargeable at Lunch RM45 nett / Dinner RM 60 nett per adult.• Child at Lunch RM35 nett / Dinner RM 45 nett per child (child 4 to 12 years old).• Annual Banquet and State Dinner chargeable at RM110 per guest (children below 12 years old are not allowed).• Fellowship Night chargeable at RM80 per guest.

* For reservations at the Puteri Pacifi c Johor Bahru, please download the Form from the MMA website or email nirubah@puteripacifi c.com. The Form has also been published in the March issue of Berita MMA.

54th MMA NATIONAL AGM & SCIENTIFIC MEETING

MALAYSIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOHOR BRANCH39-01, Jalan Susur Larkin Perdana 1, Taman Larkin Perdana, 80350 Johor Bahru.

AGM REGISTRATION FORM

54th mma agm 23


54th MMA NATIONAL AGM & SCIENTIFIC MEETING

MALAYSIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOHOR BRANCH39-01, Jalan Susur Larkin Perdana 1, Taman Larkin Perdana, 80350 Johor Bahru.

REGISTRATION FEESDelegate @ RM100 □ Spouse @ RM100 □ RM _________________________EXTRA MEALS (please indicate number of pax) 29 May 2014 Lunch @ RM45: Adult □ x _____ Child RM35: □ x _____Dinner @ RM60: Adult □ x _____ Child RM45: □ x _____State Dinner @ RM110 x ____________ person/s RM _________________________

30 May 2014 Lunch @ RM45: Adult □ x _____ Child RM35: □ x _____Dinner @ RM60: Adult □ x _____ Child RM45: □ x _____National Banquet @ RM110 x ____________ person/s RM _________________________

31 May 2014Lunch @ RM45: Adult □ x _____ Child RM35: □ x _____Dinner @ RM60: Adult □ x _____ Child RM45: □ x _____Fellowship Night @ RM80 x ____________ person/s RM _________________________

SPORTS PROGRAMME (29 May 2014) – kindly tick one option only

Single /double

Golf @ RM150/person □ / □ RM _________________________Venue: RJCC, Taman Tasek JB at 8.00 am

Bowling @ RM 30/ person □ / □ RM _________________________Venue: Dynamic Bowl, Danga City Mall at 9.00 am

Tennis @ RM20/person □ / □ RM _________________________Venue: The Puteri Pacifi c Hotel Court at 8.00 am(please indicate name of doubles partner: _____________ )

Badminton @ RM20/person □ / □ RM _________________________Venue: Larkin Badminton Court at 8.00 am(please indicate name of doubles partner: _____________ )

GRAND TOTAL RM _________________________

Cheque payment (conference registration & sports programme) to:54th MMA NATIONAL AGM & SCIENTIFIC MEETINGAlliance Bank - 011670010023794ADDRESS:Malaysian Medical Association Johor Branch39-01, Jalan Susur Larkin Perdana 1, Taman Larkin Perdana, 80350 Johor Bahru.Secretariat contact: En Rosli (Tel: 019-7494323)Email: [email protected] Tel: 607-2327523, Fax: 607-2328637(If banked in to the account please fax or email bank-in slip and form to us)

AGM PAYMENT FORM

54th mma agm24

beritaMMA Vol.44 • April 2014beritaMMA Vol.44 • April 2014

MMA 1009/5

28 March 2014

TO : ALL MEMBERS OF THE MALAYSIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

YBhg Tan Sri/Datuk/Dato’/Prof/Dr

MMA ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARER 2014 – 2015

At closing of the nomination on 7 March 2014 and after withdrawal date on the 14 March 2014, the MMA Election Committee declares the following:

President-Elect(Valid Nominations received)Dr Ashok Zachariah Philip Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh a/l Mahindar Singh

Honorary General Secretary(Valid Nominations received)Dr Azizan Binti Abdul AzizDr Ravindran R. Naidu Dr Saifuzzaman Yusoff

Honorary General Treasurer(Valid Nomination received)Dr Gunasagaran a/l N. Ramanathan(Elected without contest)

Honorary Deputy Secretaries (Valid Nominations received)Dr Koh Kar ChaiDr Rajan John(Elected without contest)

Election for the post of the President-Elect, Honorary General Secretary will be held at the 54th MMA Annual General Meeting, on Friday, 30 May 2014 between 9.00 am to 12.00 noon at the Persada Johor International Convention Centre, Johor Bahru, Johor.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely

DATO’ DR MOHAN SINGHHonorary Secretary Election CommitteeMalaysian Medical Association

election committee26


1. Dr Ashok Zachariah Philip 2. Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh a/l Mahindar Singh

Candidates:

President-Elect

manifesto 27

Dear colleagues, I am honoured to have been nominated to stand for the post of President-Elect in the elections to be held at the AGM in Johor Baru. In this

manifesto, I hope to make clear my aspirations if I should be elected.

I have been in the state level MMA Committee in Melaka for the past decade, including 2 years as Chairman, 1 as Secretary and 2 as PPS Chairman. During this time (especially during my two terms in the Council) I have had the opportunity to observe the workings of the Association closely.

If elected President-Elect of MMA, my aims would be as follow:

1 Strengthen SCHOMOS. This is our largest source of new members, and the source of new ideas and approaches to the challenges that face our association. We need to provide them with more resources so that they can more actively recruit members among housemen and junior MOs.

2 Address the problems that face general practitioners and private specialists. I feel that this sector is caught in a tight spot, what with the Private Healthcare Act, Managed Care Organisations, insurance companies, rising costs and increasing competition. A good start has been made this year with the GP Forum, but the momentum needs to be maintained. I believe that working together with other organisations of private practitioners will increase our strength and improve our bargaining position, and I intend to promote this if elected.

3 Pursue amendments to the election process for the top positions in the association. More members must be given the right to take part in the elections. Greater participation by the members confers increased legitimacy on those elected. The ball has started rolling and it now remains for us to steer it towards the goal.

4 Radically stabilise the Constitution. I have written at length and spoken at AGMs about how easily amended our constitution is, and I believe this malleability is a bad thing. The constitution has been changed so much that parts of it are incompatible with each other, making it almost certain that it will be violated. Steps are being taken to rectify this situation, but if the resulting cleaned-up constitution can be amended just as easily, we will end up in the same place a few years down the road. I propose to introduce an amendment to ensure that members from the majority of states must approve amendments passed at a general meeting before they can be adopted.

5 Cooperation with the Ministry of Health. By cooperation I mean working with, not working for. MMA must be an equal partner in the process of delivering healthcare to the populace, because we have the expertise and the ethical standing to do so.

6 Raise MMA’s profi le with members and the public. Again, good moves have been made in this direction. Let us build on these foundations.

If we continue with “business as usual”, we are going to be left behind, losing members and our voice, dwindling into impotence and irrelevance. Some have already declared MMA irrelevant. Help me to prove them wrong!

Thank you.

Dr Ashok Zachariah Philip


manifesto28

Candidates:

President-Elect

I have had the privilege of serving the Malaysian Medical Association in various capacities for the past 18 years. I have held several main positions for the MMA

including Kedah Branch Secretary, National SCHOMOS Chairman, State Chairman Wilayah MMA, Internal Auditor, Editor of Berita MMA, Deputy Honorary General Secretary MMA (4 years), Honorary Secretary of MMA Foundation and most recently I have been Honorary General Secretary. I have also served on many committees such as the Medical Education, Ethics, Medical Students, and Computer Technical Committees. I was member of the CME CPD Committee. In terms of individual events, I was honoured to have organised 2 dinners for the Prime Minister and MMA in 2010 and 2012, 1 golf tournament with the King in 2004 and 2 National Annual General Meetings in Putrajaya and Sunway (KL).

This year, I am asking the members to entrust me with the position of MMA President-Elect. I believe the MMA is at crossroads. We have had challenging times, particularly in regards to membership numbers, our unity as an association and a declining public perception of us. It is for these reasons that I want to step-up and reverse these trends. I am absolutely passionate about the MMA and deeply believe we have a unique contribution to make to our members; to the medical profession and to the Rakyat.

How would I take the MMA forward? I believe we need to move forward quickly on three main fronts:

1Reconnect with the members of MMA at every level. We must reconnect with all our members from brand new members, to seniors, to rural-based members, to urban members, to those in the public sector, to those in the private sector, to specialists, to general practitioners and to academics. We must better understand their challenges and aspirations.

2 Build Internal and External Unity. In spite of the diversity of our membership, we also have common interests based upon our profession, our desire to serve the Rakyat and our career aspirations. I am committed to ensure that there are protocols and mechanisms in the MMA to ensure that every voice of every member is heard and we act in unity as the MMA.

We also need to build bridges with other associations and Government agencies in order to create a unifi ed forum where our voice is not only heard, but the MMA takes a lead role in the directions that are taken for the medical profession as a whole in Malaysia.

3 Rebranding MMA. We must address the public perception of MMA and ensure that it is seen as the main, most respected spokesman for the medical profession in Malaysia with a strong and clear voice that has the joint interests of its members, the Rakyat and the country at heart.

This is exactly how I see MMA and that is why I have dedicated my time to the MMA for almost two decades, and I am committed to continuing to be fully dedicated to the MMA.

I believe I am the right person to initiate the steps we must now take in order to resolve our challenges. I have gained invaluable experience through some of my activities on behalf of MMA and formed strong relationships at every level of our membership and with outside bodies. It is time to bring all these different aspects together and use them to help bring the MMA to new heights.

I ask you to entrust me with the position of MMA President-Elect, so that I can serve our association to take it to greater heights by focusing our efforts on reconnecting with our members, working on providing unity and rebranding the MMA.

Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh a/l Mahindar Singh


1. Dr Azizan binti Abdul Aziz2. Dr Ravindran R. Naidu3. Dr Saifuzzaman Hj Yusoff

Candidates: Honorary General Secretary

manifesto 29

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to offer myself as a candidate for the post of Honorary General Secretary for the term 2014-2015. I graduated with MD (UKM) in 1986. I am a solo GP practising in Kuala Lumpur for the past 17 years. I have been a MMA member eversince I was a houseman in Malacca in 1986 and attended my fi rst AGM then. Later on I became a Life Member of MMA.

I started to be active in MMA as Honorary Secretary of MMA Wilayah in 2007 for a year. Subsequently I have been in MMA Council for the past 7 years with my appointment as:

i) MMA Wilayah Vice-Chairperson for 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 terms.

ii) First woman Chairperson in MMA Wilayah for 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 terms.

iii) Honorary Deputy Secretary of MMA for the term 2012-2013.

iv) Currently I am the Honorary General Treasurer for the term 2013-2014.

Thus I am well aware of the running of the Association and managing the staffs.Being in MMA Central as ExCo member for the past 2 years, I have represented MMA at Ministry meetings. I am also elected as MMA representative in Malaysian National Medicines Policy Committee for 2013-2017 by the Pharmaceutical Services Division of Ministry of Health. I am also the alternate representative to Malaysian Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee 2013-2015. Apart from that I am also a board member of MMA Foundation and Chairperson of the Eye Fund Committee of MMAF.

Apart from being active in MMA, I am also a Life Member of the following societies:

i) Medico-legal Society (committee member)

i) Society for Advancement of Hormone and Healthy Aging Medicine Malaysia (Hon. General Treasurer)

i) Society for Anti-Aging Aesthetic Regenerative Medicine Malaysia

I have also attended a World Medical Association – NSEAD Leadership Communication and Medical Advocacy Programme held in Singapore last 14 to 18 January 2013.

With that I offer my service as the next Honorary General Secretary for MMA.

Thank you.

Dr Azizan binti Abdul Aziz


manifesto30


Dr Ravindran R. Naidu(aka Ravi Naidu)

YOUR NEEDS – MY GOALYOUR IDEAS – MY SUPPORTYOUR COMPLAINTS – MY ISSSUES

I have been a general practitioner for the last 27 years. At this mature stage in my career, I have the liberty of slowing down my personal and clinical

commitments and after much deep thought, decided it is an opportunity to serve the profession through the MMA. I am enthusiastic and passionate about the role and potential of MMA to do more and better serve our members. I promise all of you, I will do my best for the MMA, and there is much that I can do for my MMA has been good to me and I now believe it is time for me to contribute to the welfare of my fellow doctors through MMA.

1 Abide by and resolve all issues related to the Constitution and the Registrar of Societies.

2 Expand our membership to double in the next one year because the more members on the ground and the more voices in the air when discussing medical issues with the Government, the more we are heard and respected.

3 I shall relentlessly speak to and for the needs of our profession. My approach will be with professional courtesy and conduct.

4 Ensure that recent medical graduates are incorporated into our organisation.

5 I shall attempt to put our own house in order before seeking to engage in negotiation with others.

6 I shall join forces with other medical organisations in the country to achieve the goals of all doctors in Malaysia. We shall work together and it’s that combination of effort and direction which will get

us to the much stronger position we need today – IN UNITY THERE IS STRENGTH.

7 Realise signifi cant savings by waste reduction and technological improvement.

8 Neutralise and normalise brewing and long standing internal confl icts within ExCo, Council and Senior Members.

9 The medical profession is going through challenging times and requires serious attention and solutions.

10 I shall communicate your needs, concerns and ideas to the ExCo and Council.

11 I am enthusiastic and most importantly approachable.

12 I know how to get the job done; I know the ins and outs of the Association (my previous experience and skills in MMA will be an asset to get the job done).

MY GOALS

Experience1. Member of MMA since 1981 and Life Member of MMA since 1985.2. Honorary General Treasurer from June 2010 till 2013.3. Honorary Deputy Secretary in 2004.4. Chairman of PPS MMA in 2003 having served as Deputy Secretary and Vice-Chairman.5. Member of various Committees in MMA like Plantation Health Committee, Insurance Committee, House

Management Committee and representing MMA in several other Internal Committees and External Organisations.

During the 3 years as the Honorary General Treasurer, I have done many things that show I am organised, committed and determined. I have and always will strive for honesty and transparency.

RAVI NAIDU FOR SECRETARYBECAUSE EXPERIENCE MATTERS


My Profi le:

Name : Dr Saifuzzaman Hj YusoffAge : 50 years oldGender : MalePractice Address : Klinik Famili TB 1872 Jalan Paya off Jalan Dominic

Tawau Sabah.Professional Qualifi cation : MD (USM), MMed (Family Medicine), Dip Rep Med

(UPM), OHD (NIOSH), PC Dip Derm (IOD)BKK, LCP Aesthetic Medicine.

MMA Membership : Life Member Current Posts : Committee Member for Society of Aesthetic

Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. M Team for Medical Practitioners Coalition

Associations of Malaysia. Chairperson for Sabah Chapter: Academy of Family

Medicine Malaysia.Past Positions : Committee Member for Academy of Family

Medicine Malaysia. Committee Member for Society of Advancement in

Healthy Aging Medicine Malaysia.

Started as a General Practitioner since 1993 under the name of Klinik Famili. Currently Klinik Famili has 5 branches in Tawau and 1 in Kota Kinabalu.

Special interest in Aesthetic Medicine, Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine.

Actively participate as an instructor, supervisor in workshops on Anti-Aging, Aesthetic and Regenerative Medicine around Malaysia.

I wish to put my manifesto as straight forward as possible.

1 Tighten the UNITY among doctors and medical association in Malaysia by improving the COMMON GOALS.

2 Ensuring Medical Practitioners not to be bullied or taken to the sidelines by any elements.

3 Capitalise current real time interaction such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Group etc. to ensure all activities and information planned and decided at the ExCo level to arrive at the roots in matter of seconds.

4 To foster a relationship with Ministry of Health for better healthcare in Malaysia.

5 To improve current members’ involvement in all MMA activities.

6 To improve members’ benefi ts for a better voice.

7 Defend and Uphold the Medical profession to be respected by the community using persistent communication either by media or by social network.

Finally I hope you will be with me for a change. A change, a new approach for a better Medical Practice in Malaysia.

Thank You Very Much for Acknowledging My Aspiration.

Dr Saifuzzaman Hj Yusoff

manifesto 31



letters to the president32


letters to the president 33


letters to the president34


letters to the president 35


The Malay Mail • 18 March 2014

MMA: Do Not Add Stress to Next-of-Kin

KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 – The public is advised not to add to the stress of the next-of-kin of passengers and crew of Malaysian Airlines (MAS) fl ight MH370 that has been missing since March 8.

Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Datuk Dr NKS Tharmaseelan said in this hour of need, communication and empathy were important and he felt that MAS and the Health Ministry need to be appreciated for sending teams of caregivers and volunteers to provide assistance, medical care and counselling to the family members of the

passengers and crew.“The next-of-kin

have been traumatised by the episode and the anxiety and stress has been aggravated due to the uncertainty of the fate of MH370. They have become and seem fi dgety, moody, irritable, short-tempered and generally unhappy,” he said in a statement to Bernama.

Dr Tharmaseelan added that continued stress may lead to serious health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, anxiety disorder and other illnesses.

“ M H 3 7 0 i s a mysterious distressing

event the world has never witnessed or dealt with before and assigning blame rather than giving answers is human tendency which we should not be tempted to do. Let us focus on fi nding MH370 and not stress out everybody,” he said.

The Beijing-bound Boeing 777-200ER aircraf t , wi th 227 passengers and 12 crew on board, disappeared about an hour after l e av i n g t h e K L International Airport at 12.41am on March 8. It was scheduled to arrive in Beijing at 6.30am on the same day.

The fate of the passengers is unknown

as the multi-national search for the aircraft has drawn a blank so far.

It has been revealed that the plane veered off course after someone deliberately switched off the communication s y s t e m o n b o a r d and, according to the Inmarsat satellite, it had fl own for several hours after that.

The satellite had continued to identify the plane once an hour through what is called an “electronic handshake” after it disappeared from radar screens at about 1.30am on March 8, and the last handshake was recorded at 8.11am. –Bernama

president in the press36


The Sun • 4 March 2014

D-Day on Doc’s FeesBy ANNIE FREEDA CRUEZ

The Malay Mail • 4 March 2014

We Are Producing Too Many Doctors

KUALA LUMPUR: Private hospitals and clinics will know tomorrow whether they can increase, with immediate effect, their fees for medical consultation and procedures.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam will make the announcement after the ministry’s post-cabinet meeting.

This was the response of Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah when asked to comment on a local news portal’s report today on the possibility of a fee hike following the amended 13th Schedule of the Private Healthcare Facilities and

Services Act 1998 which was gazetted on Dec 16 last year.

“The minister will inform the media tomorrow on the ministry’s stand on the issue,” he said.

Doctors in the private sector have not had an increase in their fees for the past 15 years and neither has the ministry drawn up any new schedule of fees for them.

The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) had last year asked for a 30% increase in consultation and procedural charges, but had to put it on hold following a public outcry.

MMA president Datuk Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan said

today that doctors needed an increase in view of the rise in living and operating costs.

“It’s been a long time since the last increase,” he added.

General practitioners get between RM30 and RM50 per consultation while specialists charge between RM50 and RM80.

Tharmaseelan had earlier been quoted as saying that it was a misconception that doctors were rich and greedy.

“Many doctors are scraping the barrel with the rising utility bills, rentals and salaries (for staff). Quite a few have even quit practice as it’s too expensive to maintain a clinic,” he said.

On average, the operating cost for a general practitioner to run a clinic in Kuala Lumpur is about RM20,000 per month.

Tharmaseelan said a general practitioner, for instance, charges between RM45 and RM50, including medication, for a patient having cough and cold.

He said a fee increase is necessary for doctors to cover their “basic costs” in view of mandatory rulings like paying minimum wage.

Now, doctors are also required to have medical indemnity insurance, hire radiographers and engage waste disposal contractors for their clinics, he added.

ONE of the often quoted reasons to produce more doctors is that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has set the standards for a nation to be considered a developed country i.e. one doctor for every 400 persons. These fi gures are still being quoted to deny the fact that Malaysia has too many doctors, though it is obviously so.

On Feb 27 at the Health Ministry, WHO expert Dr Gulin Gedik had a talk on human resources for health and technical aspects. MMA was one of the organisations invited.

I informed Dr Gedik that WHO standards of 1:400 for a country to be considered a developed country was unrealistic and unreasonable.

This was also causing

a lot of unemployment all over the world, including Malaysia, as most countries were intent on producing more doctors to become a developed country without having the infrastructure and facilities in place to train doctors.

The MMA urged that WHO should place more emphasis on development, infrastructure, accessibility, affordability and other reasonable requirements rather than the 1:400 ratio, which has resulted in too many doctors and health professionals in many countries. The quality too has worsened as the numbers are unmanageable.

The mushrooming of colleges is still being justifi ed quoting the “magical” WHO fi gure. Malaysia currently

has 1:600 and we are assured that our country has a long way to go before achieving the 1:400 fi gure with an ever increasing population. We do not seem to accept the fact that we are producing too many doctors.

Dr Gedik was surprised when MMA alleged that WHO had given the fi gures. She said records in WHO over the last decade revealed such a fi gure was never ever decided or imposed.

No fi gure can be arbitrarily decided as there are many issues in delivering healthcare. All these factors are taken into account and certainly not the 1:400 fi gure for doctors.

We cannot use this 1:400 fi gure as a justifi cation to build more colleges and produce too many doctors.

This will certainly affect the quality of doctors produced.

We should instead amalgamate the existing colleges to a sustainable level. More importantly, the emphasis should be on raising the standards and quality of training provided to doctors and allied health professionals rather than aiming at an Utopian goal.

The Education Ministry should impose a strict moratorium on medical colleges and gradually reduce the number of admissions to medical colleges and reduce the number of colleges gradually.

DATUK DR N.K.S.THARMASEELAN

PRESIDENT, MALAYSIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

president in the press 37


The Busy Clinician

Dr Goh Pik Pin [email protected]

Director National Clinical Research Center

Life Member MMA

Dr Goh Pik Pin

Research with Doctors (Part 1)

*This article will be the fi rst one of a three-part series with CRC

Making Clinical Research Matter to Doctors

Without clinical research, there can be no advances in medicine. At the Clinical Research Centre (CRC), we conduct and support research that impact healthcare and clinical practice, however remote it may be. We have 27 hospital CRCs across Malaysia; in every state, in major MoH hospitals (see http://www.crc.gov.my/

en/crcnetwork.html). These CRCs are each headed by a clinician who has great passion for both clinical work and research. Research is done in these hospitals, by these clinicians and many others like them. CRC’s Headquarters, also known as National CRC, is situated in Hospital Kuala Lumpur and is in charge of governance, policy and the overall direction of clinical research in the country.

The Clinical Research Centre

Query:

I am interested in research but have no time to spare.

Answer:

Find a topic you are interested in, with relevance and

importance to your fi eld. Better if it has the potential to improve

your patients’ care. Try to incorporate research activities into the usual patterns of your

medical practice.

Query:

I don’t want to do research but what should I do if I see a gap in current knowledge or practice or want to know the outcome of a particular

treatment?

Answer:

Share your area of concern or research idea with a hospital CRC near you. Our researchers may be

able to help you develop and conduct the research or fi nd you collaborators

with a similar interest.

from the crc38


Mosquito-borne diseases

A vaccine for dengue may be in the horizonA candidate vaccine had a satisfactory safety profi le and exhibited good immune responses against all four serotypes in children. Amar-Singh HSS, Koh MT, Tan KK, Chan LG, Zhou L, Bouckenooghe A, Crevat D, Hutagalung Y. Safety and immunogenicity of a tetravalent dengue vaccine in healthy children aged 2-11 years in Malaysia: A randomized, placebo-controlled, phase III study. Vaccine 2013;31:5814-5821.

Malaria: Refer early and standardise use of intravenous artesunate and oral artemisininPlasmodium knowlesi was the most common malaria causing species (44%) and the most common cause of severe disease (29% of patients). Almost all P. knowlesi cases in the study were given oral artemisinin therapy (92%) and almost all severe P.knowlesi cases were given intravenous artesunate (95%). There were no deaths. Barber BE, William T, Grigg MJ, Menon J, Auburn S, Marfurt J, Anstey NM, Yeo TW. A Prospective Comparative Study of Knowlesi, Falciparum, and Vivax Malaria in Sabah, Malaysia: High Proportion With Severe Disease From Plasmodium Knowlesi and Plasmodium Vivax But No Mortality With Early Referral and Artesunate Therapy. Clin Infect Dis. (2013) 56 (3): 383-397

Cardiovascular risk factors

Screen for proteinuria early to detect high risk individualsProteinuria, a marker for chronic kidney disease, was detected in 1.4% of all participants screened. Participants with diabetes or hypertension were more likely to have proteinuria (4.1% and 2.8% respectively). Ong LM, Punithavathi N, Thurairatnam D, Zainal H, Beh ML, Morad Z, Lee SY, Bavanandan S, Kok LS. Prevalence and risk factors for proteinuria: The National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia Lifecheck Health Screening programme. Nephrology 2013; 18:569–575

More economical to do age-specifi c screeningThe cost to detect one high risk individual was RM187.20 through universal screening (≥30 years of age) compared with RM93.64 for screening of individuals ≥ 50 years of age.Selvarajah S, Haniff J, Kaur G, Tee GH, Bujang A, Kee CC, Bots ML. Identifi cation of effective screening strategies for cardiovascular disease prevention in a developing country: using cardiovascular risk-estimation and risk-reduction tools for policy recommendations. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2013;13:10.

Be part of our efforts in medical discovery, in whichever clinical area you are in.

Visit a local CRC branch or drop us a line to see how you can get involved.

CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTRELevel 3, Dermatology Block, Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Jalan Pahang, 50586 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIAPhone: 603-2692 4249 / 603-2691 1486 / 603-2698 0310; Fax: 603-2691 1682Email: [email protected]; Website: www.crc.gov.my

Minding the Researches that Matter

A Resume of CRC’s Top 2013 Studies

Partner Needed for Busy E.N.T

Practise in Melaka If interested, kindly reply with c.v. to

P.O.Box 47, 75700 Melaka

When you want to serve as a doctor, you must like

working with other people. The three components, passion, knowledge, and selflessness,

are the key attributesknowledge, and selflessness,

are the key attributes

Professor Dato’ Dr Zainuddin Md Wazir:

Professor Dato’ Dr Zainuddin Md Wazir, a Life Member of MMA, currently holds the position of President and CEO of Allianze University College of Medical Sciences (AUCMS), which is one of

the leading medical schools in Malaysia. This medical university was the result of an epiphany experienced during his time while working in Pulau Pinang.

Prof Zainuddin graduated from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in 1983 and spent several years at Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL).

He re-entered UKM’s training program under the Department of Surgery in the same year that he took his General Surgery Masters Programme and graduated in 1990. Not long after that, he joined the Cardiothoracic Department as a Cardiothoracic Registrar where he worked for two years before securing a scholarship to further his cardiothoracic skills in Melbourne, Australia. He spent another two years at Monash Medical Centre and Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.

Setting Up a New Heart CentreProf Zainuddin returned to Malaysia in 1994 and worked at

Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) for a while before he moved to Penang Hospital, where he was the head of the Cardiothoracic Department at Pulau Pinang General Hospital. This was the fi rst Cardiothoracic Department under the Ministry of Health

(MoH) that was located outside KL. He also pointed out that his achievements here could not have been possible without the

help and advise of his mentors, teachers, and colleagues from IJN, HKL, UKM, Monash Medical Centre, and Alfred Hospital (Melbourne).

“We initially started this centre with just 12 ICU beds and went on to expand it until we had dedicated wards for cardiothoracic cases. I was in my thirties when I set up the centre, which made this a most interesting venture. Of course, it was a big challenge, and I am deeply grateful to my teachers and mentors in HKL for their invaluable guidance which enabled me to be independent at very

A Passionate Heart Interviewed &

written by,Donald WeeSenior Writer

personality40


personality 41


young age and set up a new centre in Pulau Pinang. By 1998, I resigned and joined a private hospital in Pulau Pinang,” refl ects Prof Zainuddin.

“What I really learnt from my experience there was that you need to know what you want to do and address it well, keep pushing and maintain your determination. When you are determined, this shows people that you are serious and more support will come your way. You must also develop your people-skills as this will help to minimise any friction or resistance toward achieving your aim. The best thing you can do is to work together with your colleagues. Work together with your team and you will get to where you want to be,” he advises.

Importance of Education One of the things that Prof Zainuddin noticed while working at the Cardiothoracic Department in Pulau Pinang was the large number of patients from Indonesia. That led him to look at the quality of Malaysia’s medical services.

“When we know people travel from other countries to Malaysia, obviously we are better than them, in many ways, either service or quality of treatment that we give them. So that gave me the idea to start a medical training programme in Malaysia. From there, I applied a college license and we managed to work with a university in Indonesia before expanding to a local university and another from Europe as well,” reveals Prof Zainuddin.

“That’s how we started, and from a single we now have more than 40 programmes in AUCMS. From the initial medical programme, we have also diversifi ed into non-medical programmes. Looking into the education sector there is actually a lot of room to develop this sector,” he confi des.

In fact, Prof Zainuddin is so serious about education that he was instrumental in getting AUCMS to acquire a former campus of Middlesex University in Trent Park in North London. This acquisition would enable AUCMS to set up their own campus in UK and to arrange for a twinning programme with their home campus in Kepala Batas. The UK branch of AUCMS is expected to be operational by March 2014 and the student intake at the campus in the next three years is expected to reach 3,500 students.

The Many Facets of EducationProf Zainuddin fi rmly believes that when looking at education as a whole, there are so many ways to approach it. When it comes to educating the students, many factors are important, ranging from infrastructure, good teachers, and so many other factors. However, he believes that the single most signifi cant factor is the student themselves.

“A lot of our programmes are now student-centred, meaning we emphasise how to motivate the students to look for knowledge. There are many ways to gain knowledge; you can get it not only from text books but also from talking to people or exploring the internet. What we are trying to do in our university is to make our students hungry for knowledge,” he confi des.

Prof Zainuddin has played an important role in the expansion of Malaysia’s medical education all the way to London.

Prof Zainuddin with the Malaysian Minister (of Prime Minister’s Offi ce) at the AUCMS main campus in Kepala Batas

– photo credit, Asman Ibrahim.

Status-elevation ceremony for AUCMS in 2011 – from college to university college.

~~~“When I look at Malaysia as a health tourist destination, I am proud to be

Malaysian. I think we do provide better quality than many other countries

~~~

personality42


“Our students will be taught the basics of what they need to know. However, rather than giving them everything on a silver platter, we encourage them to make that extra effort to look for more in-depth knowledge. This method of learning is much more effective and they will actually retain this knowledge better compared to typical classroom learning,” he divulges.

A Growing Education HubProf Zainuddin looks at what is happening in Malaysia now as a healthy development. The growth of so many medical schools which are well-regulated by our various agencies bodes well.

“When I look at Malaysia as a health tourist destination, I am proud to be Malaysian. I think we do provide better quality than many other countries. We have excellent private and public health services available to the Rakyat which is at least equivalent to that of any other developed nation. When compared to many other countries, this combination puts us very far ahead in terms of medical services,” beams Prof Zainuddin.

“However, there are still so many of our young students who go abroad to study medicine. This indicates that there is a demand for medical education and that we are still unable to fully cater to our own domestic needs. I think we can only say that we have enough medical schools in the country once there is nobody goes abroad to study in other countries anymore, at least that is how I look at it,” states Prof Zainuddin.

“Of course, we need to understand that every medical school must have enough teaching facilities and hospitals that they can link to. The teaching hospitals or a lack of facilities within the medical institution itself are factors that will compromise the quality of education that you want to give, so this should be the limiting factor,” he emphasises.

Pushing the BoundaryAccording to Prof Zainuddin, at the end of the day, the bottom line is whether or not there are enough teaching facilities or the student. The current situation where students still go abroad to further their education in medicine is indicative of the lack of medical institutions in Malaysia.

“In the long run, more medical schools is still a positive sign. The issue of producing too many doctors aside, we still need to cater to the demand for medical education. Once you have reached the point where local medical institutions can cope with the thousands of students who go abroad, then you can say that we have too many medical schools in the country. There is nothing wrong with becoming a medical education hub, after all, we may one day be famous for producing many quality doctors,” states Prof Zainuddin.

A Drop in the OceanAddressing concerns that Malaysia is producing too many doctors, Prof Zainuddin was quick to point out that AUCMS has only produced around 300 doctors since they were

established. The emphasis has always been on quality rather than quantity, and the number of students in each class is often limited in each programme. The small class sizes ensure that each student will have more one-to-one time with their lecturers.

“My biggest concern is not for the quality of our local medical graduates as local institutions are well regulated, but the ones from abroad. Do we really have any control of overseas institutions? That is why I believe that the issue is not with local universities but rather, it is with foreign universities,” he states.

“At present, we only have two programmes, one is our own programme, while the other is a UKM programme that is fully controlled by UKM but utilising our campus. The beauty of this is that it enables us to benchmark our own students’ performance against those of their counterparts who are doing the UKM programme in the main campus in UKM,” he explains.

Having the Right Stuff“Like any other job, in order to excel, you must like what you’re doing. So whoever wants to become a doctor must have the passion about what they’re doing. Of course you cannot run away from the need to have knowledge as this is the key element. You must also keep in mind at all times that you are working for the public fi rst and foremost. Thus, when you want to serve as a doctor, you must like working with other people. The three components, passion, knowledge, and selfl essness, are the key attributes that you should have,” Prof Zainuddin emphasises.

“Another point to take note of is that you want to start with a pool of good doctors. Having more doctors is actually good for our country, especially if we have more specialists. What we have to do now is to build up this pool of good doctors, and nurture them to become specialists. We can create more specialist programmes or build more hospitals,” he elucidates.

“We should be grateful that our young generation want to become doctors. Otherwise we could face issues that plague developed countries such as not having enough doctors. If you go to the UK now, you will fi nd that this is the case. That’s not good for the public. Besides having more specialists, we should also know how to distribute them. We should learn from certain countries on how to produce more doctors and make them accessible to the public, that’s the key,” he clarifi es.

~~~What we have to do now is to build up this pool of good doctors, and nurture

them to become specialists

~~~

personality 43

Imparting the Right AttitudeIn his efforts to position AUCMS as a premiere medical institution, Prof Zainuddin has faced some interesting challenges. The most apparent one was the need to inculcate intangible qualities in their students, such as the adherence to the Hippocratic Oath. “Everyone involved in medicine implicitly understands that in order to teach and train somebody in medicine, there is a lot more to it than just getting a diploma, degree, or masters. We also want to train them up to be able to practise as a good doctor. That is our ultimate aim. It all starts from becoming a medical doctor. Once you are a medical doctor, what follows is adhering to the creed of not doing any harm and doing what you can to help humanity. This is the essence of the Hippocratic Oath,” he stresses.

“One of the most crucial things you will need to have is a passion for the job. Start off with good basic training as a medical doctor. Gain exposure whether it is as an instructor, teacher, lecturer, or entrepreneur and apply what you have learnt and have been exposed to. All this has actually contributed to turning me into what I am now,” he divulges.

“It is also an excellent idea to gain as much exposure overseas as possible. I have been to UK, USA, Europe, Middle East and many other countries. Each trip has been an invaluable experience which has helped shaped me. While I did spend more time in Australia, many of the doctors or specialists I met there have also travelled to Europe and USA. Having this type of exposure is vital as it allows you to gain better insights and experiences. In my case, I met many other Cardiac Specialists who helped to broaden my horizons. There are so many areas that no one can possible cover them all,” enthuses Prof Zainuddin.

“In a way I enjoy my training time and my working time. The combination of working and other meaningful things which I have incorporated into my life have also served to give me an excellent balance in life. I am able to enjoy whatever I’m doing and this is a good thing as it has enabled me to excel in my chosen fi eld. I enjoy every step every move of what I’m doing,” he discloses.

Looking BackProf Zainuddin admits that he was far from being a studious person during his university days. However, he stresses that balance is key to being able to achieve your plans or ambitions.

“I wasn’t someone who studied all the time to get top grades. Like any average student, I also enjoyed other activities like becoming part of a band or hanging out with friends on occasion. I did not bury my nose into books and only study, study, study. So for medical students, I would encourage them to balance their life by becoming involved with other activities as well. Do what is necessary to pass your exams, but above all, enjoy your time as a student because it only comes once,” he counsels.

“The Government is now encouraging them to take up sports, become involved in culture, or any other healthy activity that is good. All these activities will benefi t and not harm them. This is a must for medical students as it will help them balance their life. When they become doctors, this will also serve them in good stead as they will be better equipped to juggle their work and personal life,” he declares.

“However,” he cautions, “medical students must fi rst know why you are studying medicine. If you are sure and passionate about it, then yes, carry on and follow your heart. Do not just become an ordinary doctor but pick up a speciality. Choose from an early age, meaning if you choose your speciality while you are still studying, at least you would be able to look through the area better than when you become a doctor, fi nish your housemanship, and start your postgraduate programme.”

Keeping Up with the TimesProf Zainuddin is also a staunch advocate for doctors to continuously hone their expertise. He believes that Continuing Medical Education (CME) is critical in every specialty. “There should be a continuation or a system where all this is monitored well and controlled so every physician in the country or every doctor who wants to practise should have some form of continuing medical programme.

Never Forget Yourself“With all the challenges ahead, too many doctors tend to get caught up in the now. Plan ahead and pick your speciality, the earlier the better. Remember that our profession is very different from all other professions. Once you are a doctor, you should always remember that you are a doctor fi rst. Everything else is secondary to that. Hold to the thought that you are a medical trained doctor. You can do other things but that must always come fi rst. This is what makes us different from other professions,” he expresses.

Volunteer Corps (VoC):Medical Camp at Tapah, Perak

In a Medical Camp organised by the Volunteer Corps (VoC) on 15 March 2014,285 orang asli children were examined. A tot al of 10 doctors (MMA Members), 40 students from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and 10 school teachers participated.

This project was a joint-effort between the MMA VoC, UPM, Sekolah Kebangsaan Batu 7, Orang Asli Community Leaders (Tok Batin), and YB Dato’ Dr Mah Hang Soon.

Prof Dr Lekhraj [email protected]

ChairmanVoC Committee, MMA

P f D L kh j R

The schoolchildren and participants of the Medical Camp.

branch news • voc44

DIPLOMA IN FAMILY MEDICINE (DFM)THE ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS OF MALAYSIA

Applications are now open for the DFM Intake 12 (July 2014). All medical practitioners with 4 years of service and above are

welcome to enroll into the programme. The 2-year Diploma consists of 16 modules, online MCQs, workshops, assignments, logbook and

a fi nal examination.

Please contact Ms. Thila at (03) 4041 7735 or email [email protected] or go to www.afpm.org.my

for further information.

(Closing Date to receive application: 31 May 2014)

Academy of FamilyPhysicians of Malaysia

DIPLOMA IN FAMILY MEDICINE: FAST TRACK (DFM-S)THE ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS OF MALAYSIA

Applications are now open for the DFM-S Intake 4 (July 2014). All medical practitioners who have completed the Vocational Training Programme (VTP) or have been a GP for more than 10 years are

welcome to enroll into the programme. The one year Diploma consists of 8 modules, online MCQs, workshops, assignments,

logbook and a fi nal examination. Please contact Ms Thila at (03) 4041 7735 or

email [email protected] or go to www.afpm.org.my for further information.

(This will be the last intake for the DFM-S. Closing Date to receive application: 31 May 2014)

Academy of FamilyPhysicians of Malaysia

Paediatric Clinic/Clinic in Klang for Sale. Price Negotiable.

Contact No: 012-295 2872

beritaMMA Vol.44 • April 2014beritaMMA Vol.44 • April 2014


mark your diary46

YEAR 2014APRIL5TH CONGRESS OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC COUNCIL ON CONTRACEPTION (APCOC) 2014

Date : 17 – 19 April 2014Venue : Hotel Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur,

MalaysiaTel : +603-6201 3009Fax : +603-6201 7009Email : [email protected] : www.apcoc2014.com

MAY11TH MALAYSIAN CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION ON ANTI-AGING, AESTHETIC AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE AND 4TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON ANTI-AGING, AESTHETIC AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE

Date : 2 – 4 May 2014Venue : JW Marriott Kuala LumpurContact : SAAARMM Conference

SecretariatEmail : [email protected] : www.saaarmm.org

MMA PERAK’S 3RD NATIONAL HOUSE OFFICER SURVIVAL SKILLS COURSE

THEME : FACING THE CHALLENGES

Date : 10 – 11 May 2014Venue : Kompleks Rawatan Harian,

Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun Ipoh

Contact : Dr Japaraj / Ms MalarTel : +6019-399 4795 /

+6016-511 9022Fax : +605-243 6543Email : [email protected])/

[email protected] : www.hosurvivalskillscourse.com

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE (ICOM) 2014

Date : 17 – 18 May 2014Venue : Seri Pacifi c Hotel Kuala Lumpur.Contact : Mrs Vicky SivaratnamEmail : [email protected] : www.msohp.com.my

18TH MALAYSIAN CONFERENCE ON PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE & 1ST ASIAN FEDERATION OF PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATIONS REGIONAL MEETING

Date : 22 – 24 May 2014Venue : Sheraton Imperial Hotel,

Kuala LumpurTel : +603-5518 5819 Fax : +603-5523 5336Email : [email protected] : www.psychiatry-malaysia.org or

www.lundbeck.com

54TH MMA NATIONAL ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) & SCIENTIFIC MEETING 2014

Date : 29 – 31 May 2014Venue : Persada Convention Centre,

Johor BahruContact : Dr Muruga RajEmail : [email protected]

WONCA ASIA PACIFIC REGIONAL CONFERENCE 2014

Date : 21 – 24 May 2014Venu : The Borneo Convention Centre

Kuching, SarawakContact : SecretariatTel : +603-2162 0566Fax : +603-2161 6560Email : [email protected] : http://www.wonca2014kuching.

com.my/index.php

JUNE23RD MALAYSIAN CONGRESS OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY 2014THEME : BACK TO BASICS

Date : 5 – 8 June 2014Venue : One World Hotel, Petaling Jaya,

MalaysiaTel : +603-6201 3009Fax : +603-6201 7009Email : [email protected] : www.ogsm.org.my

30TH ANNUAL CONGRESS OF MALAYSIAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGYTHEME : “CONTROVERSIES IN

NEPHROLOGY”

Dates : 20 – 22 June 2014Venue : Shangri-La Hotel Kuala LumpurTel : +603-4022 5882Fax : +603-4042 6882Email : [email protected] : www.msn.org.my

11TH MALAYSIAN HOSPICE CONGRESS “PALLIATIVE CARE – WHERE ARE WE NOW?”

Dates : 20 – 22 June 2014Venue : Klana Resort, Seremban, Negeri

SembilanTel : +606-7621216Fax : +606-7671216 Website : www.pertubuhanhospice

negerisembilan.com

ADVANCED LEVEL OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY ULTRASOUND COURSE

THEME : SCANNING TO SAVE LIVES

Date : 20 – 22 June 2014Venue : Kompleks Rawatan Harian,

Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun Ipoh

Contact : Dr JaparajTel : +6019- 399 4795Fax : +605-243 7389Email : [email protected])

SYMPOSIA SERIES ON PRIMARY CARE MEDICINE

Date : 21 – 22 June, 2014Venue : Le Meridien Kuala LumpurContact : Ms Jessie / Ms MayTel : +6012-6313 436 /

+6012-6388 128 Email : [email protected]

AUGUST1ST GLOBAL MANIPAL ALUMNI HEALTH SCIENCES CONVENTION 2014

Date : 7 – 8 August 2014Venue : Royale Chulan Hotel,

Kuala LumpurContact : Dr Philip George/Ms Jessie/

MAAM SecretariatTel : +6012-3974 633 /

+6012-6313 436 / +603-2282 7355

Fax : +603-2282 8355Email : [email protected]/

[email protected] : www.manipal.org.my

3RD REGIONAL CONFERENCE – NUTRITION IN OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY 2014

THEME : NUTRITION & WOMEN’S HEALTH

Date : 22 – 24 August 2014Venue : Hotel Istana, Kuala Lumpur,

MalaysiaTel : +603-6201 3009Fax : +603-6201 7009Email : [email protected] : www.ogsm.org.my

NOVEMBER15TH ANNUAL CONGRESS OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC ASSOCIATION FOR GYNECOLOGIC ENDOSCOPY & MINIMALLY INVASIVE THERAPY (APAGE) 2014

Date : 27 – 29 November 2014Venue : Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur,

MalaysiaTel : +603-6201 3009Fax : +603-6201 7009Email : [email protected] : www.apage2014.com

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