22 district hospitals picked as training hospitals

A total of 22 district hospitals have been chosen as training hospitals to accommodate the increasing number of medical students undergoing practical training annually. Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said this put training hospitals at 63 capable of accommodating 10,000 medical students compared to 41 hospitals and 6,500 students previously. Under the collaboration between Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), universities will send lecturers cum physicians to serve hospitals as trainers and doctors. "This will increase the number of specialist doctors in district hospitals as opposed to hiring specialists from overseas as it takes a long time," he said after a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing between MOH and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) in Sungai Long today. MOH was represented by Health director-general Datuk Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman while Utar by president Datuk Dr Chuah Hean Teik. Via the MoA, Bachelor students of Nursing, Physiotherapy, Biochemistry Science, Biomedical Science and Microbiology can do practical training in government hospitals and clinics. Liow said district hospitals picked are equipped with operating theatres, a complete treatment unit and enough doctors. On the Traditional and Complimentary Medicine Bill, he said it is at final stage of preparation and expected to be tabled in parliament later this year.