More doctors to get specialist training

NSTP

KOTA BARU: The government will increase the number of doctors sent for specialist training from 450 to 600 annually.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said this was to cope with the shortage of specialists in the country.

"The decision to raise the number was made about two weeks ago following a recommendation by the Health Ministry to train them at local universities.

"We will discuss with the ministry on how to fill the places. Local universities have the capability to train them but we may have to build new facilities."

Mustapa was speaking after giving away Hari Raya hampers to 105 patients at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia paediatrics ward yesterday. Present was his wife Datin Khamarzan Ahmad Meah.
Postgraduate studies in medicine are now available at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Malaya.

"We will add several more universities to the list soon."

On another development, Mustapa said there was no need for Kelantan to have new higher education institutions despite plans for it to become a centre of human capital development and educational excellence under the East Coast Economic Region.

He said there were enough public and private institutions in the state and all it needed was to strengthen them further.