Comments on: Is this a surprise? http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/ As life cruises along; vita non est vivere sed valere Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:22:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 By: susan http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-657 susan Sat, 20 Jan 2007 01:28:05 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-657 Hear! Hear! This is the same story from my time! So what is new. The system will continue to go down as long as we have the idiotic bunch who prefer 'many' to better(quality) so as to have their own kind in the coveted depts like medicine, engineering etc. Better stop writing. I might get sued like the bloggers Jeffooi and RockyBru. Malaysia again never fail to make headlines round the world for nonsensical issues. Fantastic country but with leaders who possess third world mentality! You should make a good politician! I have said this many times bro, send your article to the papers. Let us see this article printed!:-) Hear! Hear! This is the same story from my time! So what is new. The system will continue to go down as long as we have the idiotic bunch who prefer ‘many’ to better(quality) so as to have their own kind in the coveted depts like medicine, engineering etc. Better stop writing. I might get sued like the bloggers Jeffooi and RockyBru. Malaysia again never fail to make headlines round the world for nonsensical issues. Fantastic country but with leaders who possess third world mentality! You should make a good politician! I have said this many times bro, send your article to the papers. Let us see this article printed!:-)

]]> By: george http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-723 george Sun, 21 Jan 2007 16:24:40 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-723 sis I dont see a slot for letter to editor! sis I dont see a slot for letter to editor!

]]> By: susan http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-726 susan Sun, 21 Jan 2007 22:32:13 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-726 go to staronline, there are 3 little "google"like boxes. In the ist box it writes 'go elsewhere'. Scroll down til you find write to us and click on that. The page will appear with instructions for Letters to the editor. Just click on that!Voila! go to staronline, there are 3 little “google”like boxes. In the ist box it writes ‘go elsewhere’. Scroll down til you find write to us and click on that. The page will appear with instructions for Letters to the editor. Just click on that!Voila!

]]> By: hoiling http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-788 hoiling Tue, 23 Jan 2007 14:53:25 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-788 I agree with Susan. I had read a few of your articles bang-ing on some political issues which I found is a waste if it continue to hide in your little folder at Matters of Rakyat. Should do something about it. Let the mass have a chance to read your articles. :) I agree with Susan. I had read a few of your articles bang-ing on some political issues which I found is a waste if it continue to hide in your little folder at Matters of Rakyat. Should do something about it. Let the mass have a chance to read your articles. :)

]]> By: pagalavan http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-816 pagalavan Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:02:36 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-816 Hi George, I have been quite busy lately as our first batch of students going to be here in 2 weeks time(5th Feb ). Well, the matter of quality of medical students have been discussed many times. I have even written this in Berita article in MMA in 2004. Again who cares? Only now they realised that medic graduates are going down the drain. The 2 uni mentioned was IMU and Perak medical College if I am not mistaken. Again if you notice what our minister said : We are sending them a warning and I hope they would comply ? So it means no action is going to be taken anyway !!!! Your sis is right. WE have a beutiful country with 3rd class mentality politicians. Read Malaysia kini, you will come across many interesting news. Anyway, Monash University is different fm others as our quality control is not only by MMC but MOnash University Australia and Australian Medical Councill.................... Our target is 25% international students!!! Pagal Hi George,
I have been quite busy lately as our first batch of students going to be here in 2 weeks time(5th Feb ).
Well, the matter of quality of medical students have been discussed many times. I have even written this in Berita article in MMA in 2004.
Again who cares?
Only now they realised that medic graduates are going down the drain. The 2 uni mentioned was IMU and Perak medical College if I am not mistaken.

Again if you notice what our minister said : We are sending them a warning and I hope they would comply ? So it means no action is going to be taken anyway !!!!

Your sis is right. WE have a beutiful country with 3rd class mentality politicians.
Read Malaysia kini, you will come across many interesting news.

Anyway, Monash University is different fm others as our quality control is not only by MMC but MOnash University Australia and Australian Medical Councill………………..
Our target is 25% international students!!!

Pagal

]]> By: George http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-821 George Thu, 25 Jan 2007 14:24:13 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-821 Hi Paga, Nice to know you still visit. i think we should both write to the papers. Somehow I still cannot find the button my sis is talking about. Hi Paga,
Nice to know you still visit. i think we should both write to the papers. Somehow I still cannot find the button my sis is talking about.

]]> By: Med student http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-844 Med student Sat, 27 Jan 2007 03:41:19 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-844 To Mr Paga, in your statement dated 25th Jan, you have said the 2 med colleges that were under scrutiny was IMU and Perak college of medicine. May I know where are your resources from, as far as I know even our Minister of Health, DR Chua declined to name the uni involved. Such statement may bring unnecessary distress to some of students from these uni. As a medical student in one of those uni you have mentioned, I am very much concerned about this matter too, but let's not start pin pointing which uni is involved. To Mr Paga,
in your statement dated 25th Jan, you have said the 2 med colleges that were under scrutiny was IMU and Perak college of medicine. May I know where are your resources from, as far as I know even our Minister of Health, DR Chua declined to name the uni involved. Such statement may bring unnecessary distress to some of students from these uni. As a medical student in one of those uni you have mentioned, I am very much concerned about this matter too, but let’s not start pin pointing which uni is involved.

]]> By: George http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-862 George Sat, 27 Jan 2007 12:34:57 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-862 well med student, he also mentioned that it involved 2 private universities that were set up 10 years ago and are taking about 300 students. Do the maths and don't hide behind the blinds. Isn't it obvious? Politicians always avoid saying things like this to avoid a political disfavour. Dear med student, rather than being distressed about it accept it and improve the situation. And like I mentioned, it is not about pin pointing finger to any university but rather this goes to show that quality of education especially medical education is far from anybody's interest! Why should a country as small as malaysia have so many medical institution? And now there are political influence in almost all of them! You must agree that the clinical skills and knowledge of every passing batch is deteriorating and is far nothing compared to my senior batches. Why is this when health and medicine is the most valuable thing ever to any population? The senior batches were ready for the world the moment they graduated but the present batches are not. This I feel, is a western influence to monopolise the field of medicine so that the junior doctors unlike before are made to be incapable to handle many things. This is of course in general, there will always be the smart and intelligent ones that will pave their way no matter what! Anyway, I have informed Dr Paga to give his comments. Thanks for visiting and commenting. well med student,

he also mentioned that it involved 2 private universities that were set up 10 years ago and are taking about 300 students. Do the maths and don’t hide behind the blinds. Isn’t it obvious? Politicians always avoid saying things like this to avoid a political disfavour.

Dear med student, rather than being distressed about it accept it and improve the situation. And like I mentioned, it is not about pin pointing finger to any university but rather this goes to show that quality of education especially medical education is far from anybody’s interest! Why should a country as small as malaysia have so many medical institution? And now there are political influence in almost all of them!

You must agree that the clinical skills and knowledge of every passing batch is deteriorating and is far nothing compared to my senior batches. Why is this when health and medicine is the most valuable thing ever to any population? The senior batches were ready for the world the moment they graduated but the present batches are not. This I feel, is a western influence to monopolise the field of medicine so that the junior doctors unlike before are made to be incapable to handle many things. This is of course in general, there will always be the smart and intelligent ones that will pave their way no matter what!

Anyway, I have informed Dr Paga to give his comments. Thanks for visiting and commenting.

]]> By: Pagalavan http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-867 Pagalavan Sat, 27 Jan 2007 13:34:11 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-867 Dear Med Student, As Mr.George has mentioned, from the way the minister announced, it is quite clear which uni he is referring to. Recently(around November 2006), there was a meeting held in MMC regarding the student -lecturer ratio. During the meeting, lecturer:student ratio of 1:6-8 was brought up by our DG. Only IMU was very unhappy of the ruling. You must also understand that part-time lecturers are not considered in the calculation of the ratio. Only full timers and fractional staffs are considered. Again the unis that I mentioned about are the ones that people are talking about since the announcement. I am quite sure about one of it but not the other one. As the minister said, if any action were to be taken against both the uni, the students would be taken care of. Thanks for your comment. Dear Med Student,

As Mr.George has mentioned, from the way the minister announced, it is quite clear which uni he is referring to. Recently(around November 2006), there was a meeting held in MMC regarding the student -lecturer ratio. During the meeting, lecturer:student ratio of 1:6-8 was brought up by our DG. Only IMU was very unhappy of the ruling. You must also understand that part-time lecturers are not considered in the calculation of the ratio. Only full timers and fractional staffs are considered.

Again the unis that I mentioned about are the ones that people are talking about since the announcement. I am quite sure about one of it but not the other one.

As the minister said, if any action were to be taken against both the uni, the students would be taken care of.

Thanks for your comment.

]]> By: George http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-871 George Sat, 27 Jan 2007 15:52:22 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-871 Thanks Paga for the comment. Paga is it all right if I use some of the points in your articles to be highlighted here as I feel that the topics of medical education and medical healthcare in Malaysia are not very well understood and many try to avoid it as though it is another sensitive issue. If you have any articles that you would like to write and or highlight you could email me and I will publish it for you. Thanks. Thanks Paga for the comment.

Paga is it all right if I use some of the points in your articles to be highlighted here as I feel that the topics of medical education and medical healthcare in Malaysia are not very well understood and many try to avoid it as though it is another sensitive issue.

If you have any articles that you would like to write and or highlight you could email me and I will publish it for you.

Thanks.

]]> By: George http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-872 George Sat, 27 Jan 2007 15:57:15 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-872 "You must also understand that part-time lecturers are not considered in the calculation of the ratio. Only full timers and fractional staffs are considered." If the above is true, then I must presume logically that many medical institutions are not upto that supposed ratio. UITM is also probably one of them, as of surgical department, but I havent got the source. Are SLAB scheme or acting lectures(those MOs taken as lecturers but undergoing speciality training) included? “You must also understand that part-time lecturers are not considered in the calculation of the ratio. Only full timers and fractional staffs are considered.”

If the above is true, then I must presume logically that many medical institutions are not upto that supposed ratio. UITM is also probably one of them, as of surgical department, but I havent got the source. Are SLAB scheme or acting lectures(those MOs taken as lecturers but undergoing speciality training) included?

]]> By: pagalavan http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-938 pagalavan Wed, 31 Jan 2007 06:42:31 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-938 The statement about parttime lecturers are not included is true. Our director of curiculum who attended the meeting by MMC, chaired by DG told us about it. And that is why IMU was against it at that meeting. But this ratio include all the full time lecturers in the university and does not go by the department. So you may have only 1 surgeon but you may have 10 radiologist and still qualify. I am not sure of the SLAB scheme. George, you can go ahead and publish any of my articles that I have written. I don't give a dam as I am not in government service anmore. They are penalising MA's for running GP clinics but our very own klinik kesihatans are run by MA...................... What a double standard !!!! The statement about parttime lecturers are not included is true. Our director of curiculum who attended the meeting by MMC, chaired by DG told us about it. And that is why IMU was against it at that meeting.
But this ratio include all the full time lecturers in the university and does not go by the department.
So you may have only 1 surgeon but you may have 10 radiologist and still qualify.
I am not sure of the SLAB scheme.

George, you can go ahead and publish any of my articles that I have written. I don’t give a dam as I am not in government service anmore.

They are penalising MA’s for running GP clinics but our very own klinik kesihatans are run by MA………………….
What a double standard !!!!

]]> By: George http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-958 George Wed, 31 Jan 2007 15:10:47 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-958 As usual a very dumb way to make an assessment. Your example is a good one as it clearly shows the weakness of the system. Students doing surgery will learn less but as usual the ministry is only interested in numbers. Well MA's in GP and MA's in KK are of the same standard but of differing functions. The MA's in GP are more daring and perform many procedures and give all kind of advices - in short they mask themselves as doctors and patients do not know this and think that they are being treated by a doctor. An MA in KK does maybe the same but his status as an MA is known to the public and their work is limited by the medications made available and the instruments made available. This is not double standard. One is done out of greed and breech of ethics but the other is due to lack of staffing! For this my friend i disagree with you. Thanks for letting me use the points in your article. As usual a very dumb way to make an assessment. Your example is a good one as it clearly shows the weakness of the system. Students doing surgery will learn less but as usual the ministry is only interested in numbers.

Well MA’s in GP and MA’s in KK are of the same standard but of differing functions. The MA’s in GP are more daring and perform many procedures and give all kind of advices - in short they mask themselves as doctors and patients do not know this and think that they are being treated by a doctor. An MA in KK does maybe the same but his status as an MA is known to the public and their work is limited by the medications made available and the instruments made available. This is not double standard. One is done out of greed and breech of ethics but the other is due to lack of staffing! For this my friend i disagree with you.

Thanks for letting me use the points in your article.

]]> By: Pagalavan http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-968 Pagalavan Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:02:58 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-968 Well, I do agree with you in this but yet again, Ma's in KK are doing some minor procedures and some of them do not introduce themselves as MAs. Many patients still think that they were seen by a doctor. As I have written in my latest article on Malaysian health care system in Berita magazine, we only have 13 more years to achieve developed country status but our primary healthcare is still being run by MAs etc. What I mean is that the MOH should concentrate on how to improve these rather than going after the private doctors etc etc. Trust me, our primary health care is in a mess. Chronic illness complications are booming and the hospitals are going to suffer soon. Pandan hospital is hardly functioning as there is no man power. JB hospital is more crowded than before I left....... Well, I do agree with you in this but yet again, Ma’s in KK are doing some minor procedures and some of them do not introduce themselves as MAs. Many patients still think that they were seen by a doctor.
As I have written in my latest article on Malaysian health care system in Berita magazine, we only have 13 more years to achieve developed country status but our primary healthcare is still being run by MAs etc.
What I mean is that the MOH should concentrate on how to improve these rather than going after the private doctors etc etc.
Trust me, our primary health care is in a mess.
Chronic illness complications are booming and the hospitals are going to suffer soon.
Pandan hospital is hardly functioning as there is no man power. JB hospital is more crowded than before I left…….

]]> By: george http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-1016 george Sat, 03 Feb 2007 18:37:30 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-1016 Oh no not only is the primary health care in a mess even the hospitals are in a mess too. Maybe it is just a way for the government to say" look things are getting bad so let us privatise these" Well have you seen my latest article on Sinsehs Wouldn't it be an easier solution to all this -- to give us our dues and increase our pay! One single answer to settle all issues! Could it be that easy. It seems so! Efflux of doctors, quality of care, better healthcare future -- but they don't see it - they can't be that blind - they just want to have a reason to privatise! Read also the Grandrounds - Health consumerism! and the comments! Oh no not only is the primary health care in a mess even the hospitals are in a mess too. Maybe it is just a way for the government to say” look things are getting bad so let us privatise these”

Well have you seen my latest article on Sinsehs

Wouldn’t it be an easier solution to all this — to give us our dues and increase our pay! One single answer to settle all issues! Could it be that easy. It seems so! Efflux of doctors, quality of care, better healthcare future — but they don’t see it - they can’t be that blind - they just want to have a reason to privatise!

Read also the Grandrounds - Health consumerism! and the comments!

]]> By: susan http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-1032 susan Sun, 04 Feb 2007 05:12:20 +0000 http://www.gcgeorge.net/2007/01/19/is-this-a-surprise/#comment-1032 What sinseh article? What sinseh article?

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