2nd. June 2004, NSTP
SYSTEMIC FAILURE UNFOLDED AGAIN!
The new Deputy Minister of Health, Datuk Dr. Abdul Latiff admitted that the Ministry system for selection and appointment of foreign doctors had failed and that 10% of those foreign specialist employed by the Health Ministry are incompetent.
"There were flaws in the selection process as it failed to determine the competency levels of candidates," says Dr. Latiff. Selection exercise were confined to qualifications, i.e. knowledge competency and not skills and attitude.
WHAT IS COMPETENCY?
Competency has been defined as having the necessary ability, and adequacy in the 'right' knowledge, having the required skills and expertise (i.e. the years of experiences and successful application of that field of knowledge that has evolved into profound knowledge and skills) and most of all, having the right attitude and behavior required by the said profession(not pen or pencil doctors, as previously expressed by Dr. Latiff).
I believe we now have a good pair of Health Ministers in Dr. Chua Soi Lek and Dr. Abdul Latiff, as his deputy. Lets see whether they can make a strong paradigm shift to turn the Ministry into an effective and efficient machineries of improvement and providing leadership to restructure the medical system and personnel.
But without the help of an effective Higher Education Ministry to develop the human capital required for the long-term strategic needs of the Health Ministry, I wonder how would they perform effectively on such handicapped?
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