Parallel pathway: Doctors, MMC agree to put suit on hold

The four doctors who sought recognition of qualifications secured under the Health Ministry’s parallel pathway programme have agreed to pause ongoing legal proceedings pending the passing of amendments to the Medical Act 1971.

According to Free Malaysia Today, the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) has also agreed to the same.

The report quoted the doctors’ law firm Steven Thiru and Sudhar Partnership as saying in a letter that the Medical (Amendment) Act 2024 passed by Parliament recently, would remove all their clients' impediments to their enrolment in the National Specialist Register (NSR) when it comes into force.

“The changes have in principle removed all obstacles that prevented the plaintiffs (doctors) from applying to be registered as cardiothoracic surgeons.

“This is because Section 14B has been replaced with a new clause containing the list of all training institutions recognised by the MMC,” the letter reportedly read.

In response, MMC’s lawyers from Messrs Kanesh Sundrum & Co expressed their client’s agreement for the suit to be put on hold.

The firm said that once the amendments are gazetted, the lawsuit will become a mere academic exercise.

Changes passed

On July 17, the Dewan Rakyat debated and passed changes to 12 provisions under the Medical Act 1971, drafted as a “solution” to resolve issues surrounding the registration of medical practitioners as specialists, including those seeking specialist training for selected postgraduate qualifications abroad.

The court has fixed Oct 21 for case management and ordered that the party need not comply with previously given directions for the filing of affidavits, said the report.

On March 20, the four graduates of a parallel pathway training with the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh, namely Dr Nur Aziah Ismail, Dr Syed Nasir Syed Hassan, Dr Chong Kee Soon, and Dr Lok Yuh Ing, filed a judicial review to contest the MMC’s decision to reject their application to register themselves on the NSR.

READ MORE: KINIGUIDE | Parallel pathway - what is it and why is it an issue?

The MMC said it does not recognise the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in Cardiothoracic Surgery (FRCS Ed) qualification, while the graduates argued the MMC had repeatedly signalled that parallel pathway for surgery and the FRCS Ed are recognised.

The case has prompted controversial calls to open up Universiti Teknologi Mara’s (UiTM) cardiothoracic surgery programme to non-bumiputera students as a temporary solution to the issue and to resolve a general shortage of medical specialists.

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