Parallel pathway programme recognised in UK, says ex-health DG

Former health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the cardiothoracic parallel pathway programme was established to train local surgeons and prepare them to sit for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh examination. (Freepik pic)

PETALING JAYA: The parallel pathway programme for cardiothoracic surgery in Malaysia is recognised in the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Brunei, says former health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

Noor Hisham said the programme was established due to the absence of a local programme to train surgeons.

“The cardiothoracic parallel pathway (programme) was born to train our local surgeons and prepare them to sit for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh examination which is recognised in the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brunei, etcetera,” he said in a Facebook post.

Noor Hisham Abdullah.

The Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) is currently involved in a controversy with specialists from the parallel pathway programme and graduates in medical genetics over the recognition of their qualifications for inclusion in the National Specialist Register (NSR).

In response to the ongoing dispute, four cardiothoracic surgeons qualified from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, alongside six graduates from Universiti Sains Malaysia, have filed a lawsuit against the MMC.

On April 20, higher education minister Zambry Abdul Kadir urged the MMC and the specialists to resolve their differences regarding the recognition of qualifications.

Zambry, who facilitated a multi-agency discussion to address the conflict, said both sides must collaborate to support the nation’s severely strained healthcare system.

Last Friday, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the health ministry would stand by its decision to amend the Medical Act to bridge the gap between the parallel pathway programme and the local medical degree programme.

He said that after a comprehensive engagement session with the higher education ministry, it was found necessary to make amendments to the Act.