BY YENG AI CHUN
KUALA LUMPUR: The Government is seeking to woo Malaysian doctors who have been working overseas for more than 10 years to return to country by abolishing the three-year compulsory Government service.
However, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the new ruling would only be applicable to those who had self-funded their medical studies.
“The Cabinet decided that all Malaysian doctors working overseas for more than 10 years and who self-funded their studies are welcome to return and practice without the compulsory service in Government hospitals.
“This is, however, not for Government sponsored doctors,” he said in a press conference after launching the Healthcare Tourism Congress 2010 at the KLCC Convention centre Monday.
Currently, doctors who return from overseas are required to serve a three-year compulsory Government service.
Only specialists working overseas who are aged 45 years old and above are allowed to return and not serve the Government.
“We will start it this year. We will announce the details later as the Cabinet only made the decision last week,” he said.
Liow explained that the Government targeted doctors who have more than 10 years working experience as they would have a wide expertise and could contribute to the country’s medical sector.
When asked if the Government was forced to take this step because doctors working overseas refused to return because of the three-year compulsory Government service, he replied that the number of doctors trained locally had increased and this had paved the way for the decision.
“One of the factors we have identified is that we are capable of training more doctors in the country. Back in 2001, we could only train about 700 doctors a year, but now, we can train about 3,300 doctors in a year.
“The training has increased and we now have enough doctors to allow self-funded medical students who are working overseas to come back and not serve the compulsory service,” he said.
He said the move was also aimed at attracting more Malaysian specialists working overseas to serve the country.
Liow said that the increasing growth in medical tourism, the high fees foreign patients pay, increased facilities in the private sector and improved medical technology, doctors would be attracted back.
This in return, Liow said would help push the medical industry to greater heights.
“There are a lot of opportunities for Malaysian doctors returning from overseas. A lot of private hospitals are interested in employing them and the Government is willing to accept them if they want to serve us.
“For specialists returning to serve the Government, there are multi-point entries. They should not come in with a rigid pay in mind. We will pay them according to their experience and expertise,” he said.
Original source : The Star
