RM 100 million down the drain (II)
posted in - Education, - Feedback, - Nation, - Palmdoc |
About three years ago, we made a posting entitled RM100 million down the drain which highlighted the situation in which many medical students in Britain/Ireland who are/were recipients of Government scholarships have declined to return home to serve their nation. We thought that they had Agreed to Return Home. Evidently not, as a Malaysian student in Ireland has written in to inform us of the situation as seen through his eyes :-
I am a Malaysian medical student based in Dublin, Ireland who has been following the developments back home. From my view and personal observations as a student of the health sciences, I would like to bring to attention certain issues relating to Malaysian students overseas.
Indeed, there always has been much furore each year over the number of scholarships which are given out by government agencies most notably MARA and JPA in order for them to pursue their studies overseas, particularly in the area of medicine. I am all for the increase in numbers of scholarships to provide deserving students with such an opportunity, and to increase the number of doctors which we have perpetually been short of back in Malaysia.
However, what deeply concerns me and, I believe, most taxpayers in this country are the numbers of those who pursue their medical studies overseas, often at a cost in excess of an exorbitant RM1 million per student and then choose to abscond from their 10 year bond in government service. As an example, school fees alone in the institution where I am based is Euro40,000 a year - that’s a hefty RM200,000 per year for a five year undergraduate medical course per student, excluding living expenses and other incidentals which amount to at least another RM50,000 per academic year. May I also add that most of the Malaysian students in my course, dare I say 90% of my fellow Malaysian classmates, are on government scholarships.
I understand that this issue has been brought up many times in the media, but more often that not those in charge of bringing these people back brushing it off as just a ’small number’, or even worse claim that stringent measures will undertaken to prevent this - it is a blatant lie, as I see with my own eyes every day as I do my rotations in various hospitals.
I am in my clinical years hence my lessons and clinical teachings are based in major teaching hospitals where new junior doctors are primarily employed, and I can tell you that it is not the case. There are many Malaysians who spent their time here on government scholarships, but have yet to return to serve what is (supposedly) legally required of them. Some even go on to set up families here with no intention to serve the nation whom they owe. In fact, if one were to ask them their career plans, these people are brazen enough to tell you that those plans do not envision a return to Malaysia.
In my opinion, nothing much has been done to ensure that these absconders make their way back to Malaysia to serve the nation once their course is over. I am sure that, with a bit less of ‘can’t-care-less’ attitude, it is possible to achieve this aim. If the number of such people who run away from their bond in Ireland is this significant, there must be many more absconders working in the United Kingdom where there are many more medical schools compared to Ireland.
Even worse, is the fact that MARA scholars - many of whom are sent to pursue medicine in the UK and Ireland - are not legally bonded to serve the government as this clause is not stipulated in the contract that they signed when accepting their scholarship offer. Perhaps the public is not aware of this fact, as I have never seen this issue being debated anywhere in the media. And it is a sad fact which I, and many others, feel that is plain unacceptable.
This all deeply concerns me, as I believe that there is no good justification at all for this - seeing as to how much money is spent on each student and how badly Malaysia needs more medical professionals. If you tally the amount Malaysia spends each year in order to finance the education, (medical education, no less) of all scholars overseas, this is no measly sum - and Malaysian taxpayers, many of whom cannot even afford such an expensive education on their own children, deserve more than having this obscene amount of money spent on such irresponsible and downright ungrateful individuals.
The way I see it, there is absolutely no compelling reason for a scholar not to go home to serve their part of the deal. Working and pay conditions have recently been revised and improved; most of all, the education they receive has already geared them for a rewarding and personally satisfying career for the rest of their lives, without them having to pay a cent for this privilege. Many of them would not have this golden opportunity to experience studying overseas had they not received such aid from the government. And it’s about time they give back.
The shortage of doctors in Malaysia would not be to this extent if all government scholars were, by hook or by crook, roped back to serve what is due. Surely this is not a difficult task with efficient record-keeping of all scholars and stringent action on those break their bond clause - not just lip service or some clause put in in print for formality’s sake.
The issue of the supply of medical professionals in Malaysia not just a concern of a few pockets of society; since it relates directly to health services in this country, it concerns EVERYONE. Hence, the public is owed an explanation as to why the problem of non-returning scholars is THIS rampant, and what SOLID MEASURES are being taken to reduce this.
I hope that this issue will not be downplayed yet again, or the reporting die off in the media. By solving this problem, there is everything to gain and nothing at all to lose.
Regards,
Malaysian student in Ireland
Last 5 posts by Palmdoc
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November 6th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
“Ambition is an euphemisms for greed”
Cheers:)
November 6th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
never ending story..but believe me many of those who over stayed in dublin are mainly doing locum jobs including GPs and 6 monthly rotating jobs as registrar..very few..very..very few..pls name me 10 who became a top surgeon or researchers there..the rest are happy making their euros and pounds..and correct me if I am wrong..very very few completed the HST programme and become one of the top what ever..so pls come back and prescribe those pcm and phenergan to 100 over ptns that are still waiting outside my OPD
November 5th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Hi just stumbled on this site, and I really enjoy reading this article. Its worrying to know that there are so many Malaysian medical students who choose to stay overseas instead of coming back here.
Reading Buckberg’s comment, I partially agree with him. Its true that our system is flawed and that there is a lot of things that need changing before we can remedy the situation. His suggestion that those students should be allowed to work in private hospitals where the pay is better and the system is less rigid is a pretty good one.
But I think that our flawed system is not the only problem. It has something to do with the mindset and integrity of those students as well. Those students have to look into their own hearts and ask themselves this: Do I want to save lives of my countrymen or do I want to make good money for the rest of my life? If they answer positively to the latter then I say good riddance!
September 23rd, 2008 at 6:37 am
@huajern, wherever it is, it’s not in the spam queue. Didn’t see it anywhere else. Those writing long replies, do save the text in notepad or somewhere before hitting the Submit button as if your internet connection isn’t good (that means all of us using Streamyx) it might disappear into the ether.
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:40 pm
wrote a very long tirade against Buckberg up there. but somehow it got lost in cyberspace. rejected as spam? may be it is for the better.
but let me express my thoughts on Buckberg’s “arguments” : how dare govt scholars utilise Malaysian taxpayers funds for a wonderful education and then claim we owe them a better life! if not, they are have the right of not coming back! go (insert expletive) yourself!
September 22nd, 2008 at 1:25 am
When you sign on that dotted line you are all starry eyed and 18. Idealistic and raring to serve King and country. But no one…no one tells you about that murky organization called the MOH or government service. It’s a con an 18 year old will never understand. They always wise up only during their first year as MOs.
It is a waste of this country’s valuable and scarce human resources when a poor kid who has scored 8As at the PMR and 12As at his SPM exams gets sent to Liverpool to do Medicine but comes back and realizes he is going to be part of a system that has no capacity to improve itself. It’s heartbreaking to see talented British graduates frustrated and left to rot in a Klinik Desa because his Pengarah who is a UKM graduate thinks local graduates should be given preference.
When this kid from the kampong has the opportunity to become a top notch liver transplant surgeon out in the UK because that system there gives you the infrastructure and opportunities commensurate with his abilities, why should he settle for doing circumcisions and treating diarrhea at Gua Musang. Worse still, it is not uncommon to see this million dollar doctors quitting right on the dot of their compulsory service and open clinics dishing out cough mixtures and antihistamines. And some, have even become politicians after the GP stint when they should have evolved into top clinicians and researchers. If you need doctors to do such work, please do not waste a million ringgit of the tax payer’s money sending them to top medical schools in the western world. Train them at home, India or Indonesia. This sought of infamous policies are created by our Education Ministry who clearly do not know how incompetent our MOH is. You give them a diamond; they will turn it to dust.
Alternatively scrap the compulsory service if you still want to send students to million dollar medical schools, let them train properly and join a private hospital here. Why do we keep repeating this nonsense year after year for 50 years? The opportunity lost is always never the student who doesn’t come back. It’s almost always the loss of the tax payer’s money. What sought of government would do this year in year out without soughting out the reasons and looking for solutions but instead wastes 100 million ringgit of the public’s money. This sought of sponsor cannot be worthy of any respect nor trust as they keep wasting tax payer’s money like there is no tomorrow. If you are so concerned about the million ringgit, common sense would dictate that you give out loans instead where legal recourse for non payment can be executed expediently where guarantors become severally liable. . No point gunning for a kid who only wants to improve himself. If you are so insistent he must serve at the backwaters, the solution is simple. Don’t send them to million dollar schools. Period. Otherwise improve your service, infrastructure and incentives so that they can’t wait to come home.
But bluffing 18 year olds about a medical nirvana waiting here out at the MOH is just not going to cut anymore. This country has been left behind severely in almost every sector of the medical field. Joining a system that is rapidly hemorrhaging doctors is the only reason why tomorrow you will be seeing 100 outpatients instead of 60 today. Today you cannot send bright kids to study in places where medical miracles do happen and then expect them to come home to compete with traditional medical practitioners who practice merrily while medical doctors come under the purview of idiotic enactments like the PHFSA. We need a better managed Health and Education Ministry which will not only bring back our own scholars but will attract talent from throughout the world. The problem is the system. So don’t shoot the doctor.
September 21st, 2008 at 10:29 pm
a lot of what you say is true, esp in terms of career development and frustrations of Malaysian govt service. but you forgot two things (applies to govt scholars only) :
1) you signed a legal document, more importantly you made an oath under your name. no one put a gun to your head then, and you knew what you were getting into. to go back on your word is akin to smearing your own name. however you spin it, you are a person who is untrustworthy and unworthy of respect. I would even consider it as infamous conduct.
2) paying back the money spent, even with interest, does not absolve scholars from their responsibilities. you did not factor in the opportunity cost. if another was sent with the scholarship and came back to serve, the 50 inpatients and 60 outpatients would have more doctors providing better care, however slight. and that makes a world of difference to the patients.
sadly, greed and selfishness cuts across all creeds.