'Kudos' For Extension Of Housemanship
By Zulkiple Ibrahim
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- "It is a wise move" said a consultant physician before rushing off for a ward round at a medical centre here.
The consultant had made the above comment after he was asked by the writer on the recent announcement by the Ministry of Health that from this year, the period of housemanship will be extended to two years.
Health Director Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican made the statement last Aug 3.
"The move is to enhance the quality and competency of medical officers in the field. It would also ensure that the medical officers are able to treat patients and could be assigned to any health facility including those in the rural areas", he was quoted by the media.
Dr Ismail said the medical authorities decided on the move as a number of graduate medical officers admitted that they are not prepared and do not have the capability to render good service when sent to district hospitals or clinics after completing only one year of housemanship.
WHO IS A HOUSEMAN?
A 'houseman' is a term for a graduate in medicine gaining supervised practical experience. The meaning is also for a a junior doctor in a hospital.
A dictionary describes the word as 'a physician who has recently graduated from medical school and is learning medical practice in a hospital under supervision, prior to beginning a residency programme.
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- "It is a wise move" said a consultant physician before rushing off for a ward round at a medical centre here.
The consultant had made the above comment after he was asked by the writer on the recent announcement by the Ministry of Health that from this year, the period of housemanship will be extended to two years.
Health Director Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican made the statement last Aug 3.
"The move is to enhance the quality and competency of medical officers in the field. It would also ensure that the medical officers are able to treat patients and could be assigned to any health facility including those in the rural areas", he was quoted by the media.
Dr Ismail said the medical authorities decided on the move as a number of graduate medical officers admitted that they are not prepared and do not have the capability to render good service when sent to district hospitals or clinics after completing only one year of housemanship.
WHO IS A HOUSEMAN?
A 'houseman' is a term for a graduate in medicine gaining supervised practical experience. The meaning is also for a a junior doctor in a hospital.
A dictionary describes the word as 'a physician who has recently graduated from medical school and is learning medical practice in a hospital under supervision, prior to beginning a residency programme.
WHAT IS THEIR TASK?
According to a member of the medical profession fraternity, a houseman's duties are not that heavy.
"Their primary duty is to 'clerk' (take down the medical history) of new admissions (patients) and most of the times, these patients need intravenous infusion of drugs like antibiotics and his job is to set the 'IV line'.
"The houseman also takes the patient's blood for tests and administers the IV drugs. Yet the drugs are prescribed by the lecturers and consultants during the ward rounds where the houseman only writes down the prescription", he said.
However the houseman is on duty for a 24 hours and that could place severe pressure on him, he added.
VIEWS
"The move would overcome several problems that had arisen including complaints on service quality like unsatisfactory clinical skills and sub-standard treatment," said a general practitioner who wished to be identified as Dr Ilham of Rawang near here.
Dr Ilham said: "I remembered houseman training is the most crucial part of the medical training. Hopefully, with the one additional year of supervision, they become more competent doctors".
He also said there is a need for more hospitals to be made training centres for the houseman.
"The hospitals selected for houseman training should must have adequate basic specialty services and enough specialists to ensure proper supervision", he added.
Another physician, Dr S. Vanu, in welcoming the ministry's move, said it would mean reducing the number of 'incompetent doctors'.
"We use to hear cases about junior doctors giving the wrong dose of medication to patients and patients also have complained that sometimes a doctor would have to puncture their arms more than once in trying out to draw blood," she said.
Dr Vanu said after the two-year housemanship, the doctors would have to serve their three years' compulsory service with the government.
-- BERNAMA
According to a member of the medical profession fraternity, a houseman's duties are not that heavy.
"Their primary duty is to 'clerk' (take down the medical history) of new admissions (patients) and most of the times, these patients need intravenous infusion of drugs like antibiotics and his job is to set the 'IV line'.
"The houseman also takes the patient's blood for tests and administers the IV drugs. Yet the drugs are prescribed by the lecturers and consultants during the ward rounds where the houseman only writes down the prescription", he said.
However the houseman is on duty for a 24 hours and that could place severe pressure on him, he added.
VIEWS
"The move would overcome several problems that had arisen including complaints on service quality like unsatisfactory clinical skills and sub-standard treatment," said a general practitioner who wished to be identified as Dr Ilham of Rawang near here.
Dr Ilham said: "I remembered houseman training is the most crucial part of the medical training. Hopefully, with the one additional year of supervision, they become more competent doctors".
He also said there is a need for more hospitals to be made training centres for the houseman.
"The hospitals selected for houseman training should must have adequate basic specialty services and enough specialists to ensure proper supervision", he added.
Another physician, Dr S. Vanu, in welcoming the ministry's move, said it would mean reducing the number of 'incompetent doctors'.
"We use to hear cases about junior doctors giving the wrong dose of medication to patients and patients also have complained that sometimes a doctor would have to puncture their arms more than once in trying out to draw blood," she said.
Dr Vanu said after the two-year housemanship, the doctors would have to serve their three years' compulsory service with the government.
-- BERNAMA
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