Chua: No more intake of foreign doctors
PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry has had enough of foreign doctors.
Close to 700 foreign doctors in government service are being monitored, and roughly 120 have been fired since 2003 for poor professional skills and communications. "We are not interested in hiring such doctors. We can hire another 600 (this year), but we’re not going to," said Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek. "They don’t come to work. They don’t have the skills, they can’t communicate. Their performance is just not satisfactory."
Those being monitored can serve out their three-year contracts but could be terminated if their performance is unsatisfactory, he said after a ministry function yesterday.
The Cabinet approved the recruitment of over 1,000 foreign doctors in January 2002.
Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said some foreign doctors had difficulty with discipline, with some not even turning up for work. "I am not saying all foreign doctors are no good ... but we have had problems with many," he said at the same function.
Meanwhile, Dr Chua said there are no plans to stop under-18s from drinking alcohol, saying such a ban would be impractical. "It will be difficult to enforce," he said.
He was clarifying a newspaper report that a ban on under-age drinking was being considered. The newspaper had reported that minors can easily buy alcoholic drinks.
The Food Act 1983 bans the sale of alcohol to under-18s, an offence punishable by a RM5,000 fine or two years’ jail. There is none on drinking.
The ministry last month commissioned an eight-month study by a local university on health habits, including drinking, Dr Chua said. "The study will cover Muslims and non-Muslims. We understand it is a sensitive issue, but the ministry feels it is better to obtain the information."
The last study on alcohol consumption was 10 years ago, and did not include Muslims. "The study 10 years ago no longer reflects the true picture," he added.
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