It is indeed heartening and reassuring to know that the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) is seriously concerned with the poor quality of some medical schools and medical students, as reported in the press recently.

Needless to say, poor quality doctors will provide inferior quality medical treatment and care. This will adversely affect a patient's health and safety. It is pertinent therefore that the MMC rightly plays an active role in ensuring that medical schools are of the highest quality.

As the licencing authority and regulatory body of the Malaysian medical profession, the MMC is also responsible for continuously ensuring that all doctors adhere to the best medical practices in consultation rooms, wards and operating theatres.

The president of the MMC was quoted as saying in a press report that 'we have to ensure quality doctors so that our health service is of quality. Anybody can be a victim if the doctors we have are not of quality'.

Now, according to some researchers and media reports, there could be about 4,000 deaths every year due to medical negligence or errors, and this figure may be on the rise (the New Straits Times , Sept 1, 2004).

If this is indeed true, does it then mean that some of the MMC's 'quality assured' doctors in practice could in fact be providing questionable medical treatment and care? Aren't these doctors approved and licenced by the MMC? What has happened then to quality and who is responsible for the deterioration?

In an MMC inquiry to hear my complaint against a private hospital surgeon recently, I was told that 'the council is not ordinarily concerned with errors in diagnosis or treatment'. I was made to understand that the only avenue available for issues relating to medical negligence, errors,

or compensation is through the civil courts.

The council appears to be interested only with issues of ethics and conduct, areas which do not seem to include issues of malpractice or negligence. Is the MMC then implying that enforcing high-quality standards for medical treatment not their responsibility? Would not correct diagnosis and proper treatment of patients and their well-being be part of a doctor's duty?

Maybe the MMC needs to play a more potent role by setting up stronger disciplinary mechanisms and stringent policies to check that their 'quality' doctors always provide 'quality' treatment and care to their patients.

I sincerely believe there are many competent, caring and devoted doctors in practice. Above all, as doctors 'touch' the lives of their patients, they cannot afford any bad apples to mar the credibility and high standards of the profession.

The MMC must protect the public against errant medical doctors and urgently address shortfalls in the clinical competence or standards of doctors in practice. It is also imperative that the MMC is seen to apply its requirements and standards transparently, justly and equally to all medical schools concerned.