Kuala Lumpur: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has clarified that the proposal to shorten the housemanship training period is aimed at boosting productivity through more focused and efficient training, rather than addressing the shortage of medical officers.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Health director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan stated that the proposed reduction in the training period is consistent with the Medical Act 1971 (Act 50), which mandates a minimum one-year training period. The housemanship training was extended to two years in 2008 due to an increase in medical graduates and a lack of senior medical officers to provide supervision and support.

Dr Muhammad Radzi highlighted that with improvements in the training process, including an increase in the number of medical specialists and specialist hospitals, the MOH is in the final stages of reviewing the proposal to revert to a one-year training period. He emphasized that the one-year housemanship training aligns with international practices, provided that training quality is enhanced through a comprehensive evaluation of the existing system and recent developments in Malaysia's healthcare sector.

He mentioned that the MOH engaged with stakeholders such as the Malaysian Medical Council, Academy of Medicine Malaysia, higher education institutions, and heads of specialists to discuss the proposal. The goal is to address issues raised by housemen, such as heavy workloads and lack of recognition, while focusing on enhancing their clinical exposure and motivation.

Dr Muhammad Radzi explained that under the proposed shorter training period, housemen will cover the Medical, Surgical, and Obstetrics and Gynaecology Departments in the first year. In the second year, they will serve as junior medical officers in the Paediatrics, Orthopedics, and Emergency Medicine Departments on a rotational basis. Training in anesthesia, psychiatry, and family medicine will be integrated into the training schedule of relevant departments to ensure a more efficient process.

He assured that the MOH will ensure housemen achieve the required competency before becoming junior medical officers, with training supervisors playing a critical role in their training, monitoring, and evaluation. If their performance is unsatisfactory, the training period may be extended to maintain quality and competency.