Health Ministry serious in tackling issues related to housemanship training

PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry is carrying out various measures to address the issues and challenges related to Housemanship Training Programme
Among the measures include increasing the number of public hospitals offering housemanship, extending the housemanship period from one year to two years, as well as mooting a fast-track system to shorten the training of House Officers (HOs) in effort to promote them to Medical Officers in their chosen field.
Director-General of Health Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said it has carried out numerous discussions and engagements with various stakeholders from the Housemanship Training Hospitals, top MOH management, and relevant specialists; including engagements with the Ministry's Clinical Specialists during the Specialists' Conferences in Malacca (2013) and Port Dickson (2015).
Various inputs were also sought from the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) and Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).
"To ensure adequate clinical exposure and good quality of training, the number of public hospitals that offer housemanship training have also been increased from 38 hospitals in 2009 to 44 hospitals in 2015.
"Several other hospitals will be accredited as Housemanship Training Hospitals in the near future, including Shah Alam Hospital and Langkawi Hospital. Likewise, Royal Military Hospitals were approved for accreditation and will begin accepting House Officers (HOs) from the year 2017," he said in a statement.
Dr Noor Hisham added that since 2013, HOs can undergo up to nine disciplines, as opposed to the three major disciplines, during their two year postings - including Anaesthesiology, Primary Care and Psychiatry postings
"To further strengthen clinical supervision and assessment of HOs, Housemanship Training Committees were established at the hospital level in the relevant clinical departments, and at the State Health Department level.
"Efforts were also made to improvise the log book to record HO's clinical encounters and experiences throughout their training in each discipline," he added.
Dr Noor Hisham noted the Public Service Commission has organised the appointment of HOs into public service to be done every two months, depending on the vacancy of posts.
"Since March 2015, the ministry has introduced the 'e-Houseman' system by which the medical graduates themselves can choose via an online portal, the hospital where they wish to be posted for their housemanship training, subject to vacancy of posts," he said.
He also pointed out that there will be a shorter waiting period for those who choose to undergo their housemanship training outside of Klang Valley, especially in the more remote hospitals that often have more vacancies - as compared to placement in hospitals in bigger cities.
"Hence, the ministry wishes to reassure the public and the healthcare professionals alike that there have been continuous efforts to transform and further enhance the training programme," he added.