HOs: Take extra care with those log books!
posted in - Nation, - Palmdoc |You wouldn’t want just some technicality to jeopardize your career would you? We mentioned the sad incident of a doctor whose logbook was late in submission to MOH, (apparently not his/her fault as the hospital failed to pass it on) and who was punished rather harshly.
Now in a follow up post, Standup tells of more harsh punishment inflicted on others.
4 unfortunate doctors in my hospital have fallen victim to the “late logbook” incident and have received the punishment as I have dictated before. But to add more salt to the wound, KKM has released an order that the 4 fellow doctor’s APC are not fully licensed and are subsequently not allowed to do clinical practice. Its funny, these doctors have served for 5 years without any incident, one of them have a part one in MRCOG and another has part one in MRCS. And now, they are going to be clerks. Or doing statistics or whatever KKM would give them.
Fair punishment or not? What do you think?
Let this be a lesson to all young doctors. When you deal with bureaucratic monkeys, let me tell you they will only understand what is recorded in a piece of paper. Never mind any glowing testimony from your mentors or supervising consultants. If the MOH does not have or cannot find that piece of paper documenting your training, then your career is kaput. Bureaucratic monkeys love to make rules and make sure these rules are followed. This is basically the only thing they are good at. You have no choice but to play the game, but play smart.
Let me reiterate Pseudomallei’s advice:
1. After submitting your log books, call the relevant authority to confirm that they have received them.
(in fact given the horrendous experience the poor MO faced, I would think you should also get written date-stamped acknowledgment from the hospital clerk that he/she received your logbook)
2. Make sure you get your permanent registration within 6 months of completing the housemanship, if not, call and bug them.
3. Make sure your annual SKT is submitted on time at the end of the year and photostat a copy for reference (this is important for salary increment).
4. Make sure you get your salary increment every year. Everyone would have the month of increment (tarikh kenaikan gaji) and make sure you get the annual salary rise, if not, bug them (don’t just sit quietly and expect it to happen automatically).
5. Young MOs should make sure that they get registered on time for their “Induksi”. Always inquire from fellow colleagues from other hospitals and states. If there is a delay, go to the office and make demands.
6. After “induksi”, make sure you get the certificate and promptly submit to the office. If you don’t get your cert, call up the relevant authorities in Putrajaya or state office to inquire. Sometimes, the forms are sitting somewhere in the corner, and no one would bother about it (that’s MOH!).
7. Make sure you get the confirmation before going into year 4, if you don’t, go to the office to find out the reason and bug them to speed up. If necessary, one may even need to head to Putrajaya to get things done.
8. For other promotions, one must make sure and be aware when to summit the form. Always ask and compare with your other batch mates from other hospitals and states. Always photostat a copy of whatever forms you have submitted as proof later on.
Bottom line – never ever assume the chain of bureaucracy in the MOH will work flawlessly. Always assume the opposite and you have to look out for yourself.
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January 28th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
I think the ‘punishement’ is fair. Imagine that O&G MO who had been working in the O&G department for past few years, he probably had seen many rape victims. I can assure you that all those findings and documentation done by him are not admissible in the court because this doctor practice WITHOUT his APC, he is not a medical doctor in the eye of law. For that surgical MOc if complication arise from his surgery and patient died, he will not be sued undermedical negligence but MURDER because again he is not a medical doctor by law. Whatever insurance claim by their patients will not be entertained because the treatment is not done by the laeful medical doctor. So it is the doctor resposibility to ensure that they have a proper APC. It is their resposibility to make sure this is not and not dependent on the office clerk to do for them.
All those advises by pseudomallei are good and valid. But often it is the HOs ‘takada apa’ attitude which complicate the matter. Just look how fast they finish their discharge summary and medical report requested by the record office. Sometime a simple medical report may take 6 months to complete despite numerous reminder. It’s all about attitute. Of course thing do go wrong by the office clerk but it belongs to a very small minority.
Recently I had to stop a HO from continue his 2nd posting because he hasn’t got his temporary registration cert. The hospital had to bear some blame because they assume he had done so but also his fault for not submitting the form to MMC depsite various reminders.
January 30th, 2009 at 1:31 am
“poor doctor’s” comments is as typical as our director’s point of view. It is the doctor’s (HO’s) fault for not following through their logbooks and confirming an APC for practise. It is their fault for being careless and with their “takde ape ape” attitude, that causes their demise. “no one to blame but yourself.
Basically, “poor doctor” clearly is thinking “in the box”. A qualified surgeon who is competent in TURP or gastrectomy, but does not have a proper Malaysian APC (suggestively he graduated and further studied in Congo and returned to Malaysia), is technically “incompetent” in view of his “paper qualification”. No papers, no go (Nazi attitude). Anyways, its true enough that a license is pertinent in medical practice. The issue at hand is how these doctors ended up where they were and how the bureaucratic red tape has made their situation worse rather than giving ways or methods for resolution. Remember, these doctors underwent housemanship the same time and and handed up their logbooks to the office together, but subsequently got lost without their knowledge. Why were they ignorant as “poor doctor” may ask? Its because they were neck deep with work and were dedicated in achieving a pinnacle in their career by further studying. Their HODs can vouch on their efforts and hard work. However, they seem to have overlooked to check the office (who ensured them that they will do everything) to ensure that all paper works have been submitted.
Whether these doctors are functioning within the law of Malaysian medicine, it is totally a subjective matter. If they are convicted of malpractice, they may be labeled as Murderers as “poor doctor” suggested. But in the true eyes of practice and doctoring, these doctors cared more for their patients rather than their own bureaucratic well being.
A story; my sister in law is a lawyer, she also has so called “logbooks” to fill out. Once completed, they hand it up and the Malaysian Justice Dept will process the papers followed by “2 support letters” and subsequently “called to the bar” once the registration has completed. Not much effort was done by my sis as updates and progress of her registration were sent via mail to her by the justice dept as they believe that lawyers are very busy people.
But I guess doctors in Malaysia are treated differently. Therefore they have to be vigilant in every sense of the way; while working with patients, bearing with consultants, handling “takde ape ape” HOs and the bureaucratic crap of MMC and KKM. Nobody watches their back here in Malaysia. “pseudomallei” has given very valuable advise for new doctors in Malaysia.
“poor doctor” sounds like the typical KKM doctor.(Specialist or consultant). One that we have too much of and would never change the system for the betterment. Everything “by the book”. (r u Ismail Merican?
My plea: “Give these doctors a break for God’s sake….they really need it”
Nuff said….
StandUp
January 30th, 2009 at 6:41 am
When young doctors start off in their careers as HOs, is there an orientation process which details these MOH requirements?
January 30th, 2009 at 10:18 am
A law is a law and even if it is a bad law, you have to follow it. If the Malaysian law says you need APC to practice,you need to follow it. Even if a foreign Prof is invited to this country to perform some procedure, he too need to get temporary APC. Do you mean that A qualified Malaysian doctor and just go to US or UK and practice without their APC as well? If doctors don’t like this, they should lobby to get the requirement of APC thrown out. And please don’t exacerate this issue, majority of the doctors got their registration and APC done in a well manner order.