KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) has been granted accreditation by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) to conduct training courses for cardiothoracic surgeons since 2020, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir.
He said the accredited programmes included the Master of Surgical Science in Cardiothoracic and Doctorate of Cardiothoracic Surgery programmes.
Zambry said the ministry was ready to help with issues concerning the medical parallel pathway programme offered by the Health Ministry and courses in public universities accredited by the MQA.
"The cabinet has discussed this matter and has agreed to establish a committee to resolve issues involving the parallel pathway and local master's programme.
"We aim to resolve any recognition issues arising from long-standing technical difficulties, which prevented specialists who have completed their studies from being absorbed."
Zambry said this in response to a question by Senator Dr R.A. Lingeswaran in the Dewan Negara yesterday.
He said the matter could be resolved, including if there needed to be amendments to acts.
"The nation needs specialist professionals, but due to prolonged technical issues, we denied the rights of those who have completed their courses to be recognised as specialist doctors. This is bad for the country."
Citing data from Health Ministry, he said to resolve the issue of specialist shortage, the country needed 19,714 specialists by 2030.
However, he said, up to 2023, only 7,935 medical graduates had been produced by higher education institutions.
In light of this, Zambry said, the cabinet had approved an increase in the number of specialisation slots to 150 for the medical master's programme annually.
"Eleven public universities offer medical studies, with eight providing medical degrees and doctorates in medicine.
"Public universities offer 24 specialisation fields, excluding urology, out of a total of 25."
He said there were 95 specialist programmes, with 91 offered in public universities and the remaining four accredited by the MQA and MMC in private colleges.
Also in Dewan Negara yesterday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said he would present to the cabinet a way to overcome the problem of graduates from a programme not listed in the National Specialist Register.
Dr Dzulkefly said he was aware of the Malaysian Medical Council's refusal to recognise qualifications from certain colleges.