KUALA LUMPUR – The proposed amendment to the Medical Act 1971 (Act 50) seeks to address the gap between the parallel pathway programme and the local master’s medicine programme, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said.
Dzulkefly said that as the Health Ministry nears completion of the amendment, they hope that this effort will help the government empower and regulate both programmes.
“I hope that once everything is in place, all of the graduates can be registered, not only those from the parallel pathway programme but also those who pursue local master’s degrees,” he told reporters after visiting Ampang Hospital today.
Earlier this month, Dzulkefly said the Health Ministry will propose to the cabinet to expedite the proposed amendment to Act 50 by the Second Meeting of the Third Session of the 15th Parliament in June 2024.
This is to ensure that medical specialists who have completed their training under the parallel pathway programme will be registered and recognised, he said.
Separately, Dzulkefly said that since February, the ministry has recorded 10 cases of heatstroke and 32 cases of severe exhaustion due to the hot weather nationwide.
“However, for infectious diseases caused by the hot weather, the ministry has not yet recorded any cases, but we will continue to monitor the situation,” he said. – April 10, 2024