by Tan Sri Datu Dr Mohamad Taha b Arif Director-General of Health Malaysia

Transcription

1 B E R I TA AKADEMI / VOL. 14 No. 1 PP 6561/12/2005 MARCH 2005 N AT I O N A L S P E C I A L I S T R E G I S T E R by Tan Sri Datu Dr Mohamad Taha b Arif Director-General of Health Malaysia The Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) and the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia (AMM) plan to have the National Specialist Register (NSR) up and running by the middle of The two bodies have collaborated for over two decades on this effort, through successive Director-Generals of Health and Masters of the Academy. Numerous meetings and workshops at national level were held to discuss, debate and fine-tune the various aspects of a National Specialist Register. Va r i o u s professional bodies have contributed in defining the criteria for training and competence in the respective specialties. Finally we are soon going to have only one National Specialist Register for the whole country. Under the umbrella of the World Trade Organization, Malaysia will be opening its doors to foreign medical practitioners in compliance with the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). It is essential to have the NSR in place to ensure that only appropriately qualified and competent foreign doctors are permitted to practise their respective specialties in this country. This will safeguard the interest of the people, and ensure that standards of specialist practice are not compromised. T HE PR OCESS It has been agreed that the present NSR will incorporate the present AMM Specialist Register. In essence, specialists in the AMM Specialist Register will automatically be categorized as specialists in the National Specialist Register. Specialists who are not in the AMM Specialist Register will have to apply to the Secretariat of the National Specialist Register, housed in the AMM. The applications will be forwarded to the respective Specialty Boards. The President of the Malaysian Medical Council, who is also the Director-General of Health and Chairman of the National Credentialing Committee, appoints members to the various Specialty Boards. Every Specialty Board has representatives from the Ministry of Health, the AMM and the respective specialist society. The Board will review and approve the application if there are documented proof of qualification and training according to agreed criteria. The Board will then recommend that the applicants be credentialed as specialists. The AMM has its own Specialist Register, established in 1999 and, officially launched in November 2000 by YBhg Tan Sri Dr Abu Bakar Suleiman, then Master of the AMM and DirectorGeneral of Health. The AMM Specialist Register is available in the website for inspection and reference. For years the MOH has its own gazettement exercise for specialists working in its hospitals and health facilities. This is a requirement under the General Order. Specialists have to be gazetted in order to be employed to the respective grades of service, and given appropriate remuneration. This process has worked well for the MOH. Under the Medical Act 1971, medical practitioners who practise in this country have to be registered with the Malaysian Medical Council. This register is for all medical practitioners, whether specialists or non-specialists. There is no provision for a specialist register under the present Act. However, in the proposed revision of the Act, there is a provision to register specialists as well. A fee will be charged to the specialist who applies to be registered with the National Specialist Register. This fee will go towards paying for the expenses incurred by the Specialty Boards, maintenance of the Registry, as well as administrative costs. Other than the initial funding from the Ministry of Health to establish the Permanent Secretariat, the National Specialist Registry will be self-sustaining. PURPO SE O F THE N AT IO NAL SPECI ALIST RE GIST ER The NSR will ensure that doctors designated as specialists are appropriately trained and fully competent to practise the expected higher level of care in the chosen specialty. With the NSR in place, doctors will be able to identify fellow specialists in the relevant specialties to whom they can refer to either for a second opinion or for further management. Importantly the NSR protects the public, and will help them to identify the relevant specialist doctors to whom they may wish to be referred to or may wish to consult. The NSR is in fact an exercise in self-regulation by the medical profession, having the interest and safety of the public at heart. Through the NSR, the medical profession will strive to maintain and safeguard the highest standards of specialist practice in the country. The specialist register is time-based and renewable upon proof of continuing professional development and continuing medical education activities by individual specialists. The duration has not been decided, but will probably be between 3 to 5 years, based on practices in other countries. The NSR will draw from the experience of the gazettement exercise of the Ministry of Health when the former is up and running. With the NSR in place, we are looking forward to having just a single specialist register for medical specialists in all sectors, including the Ministry of Health, the universities, as well as the private sector. The credentialing process will of course continue to evolve to suit the evolving needs of the people and the country. All constructive suggestions and comments from fellow medical practitioners are most welcome. Let me urge and appeal to the whole medical profession to fully support the National Specialist Register. e With the impending implementation of National Health Financing Scheme, payment for service will be based on the qualifications and skills of the practitioners. Hence, the establishment of a NSR will be essential as a reference resource. B E R I T A 1 A K A D E M I

2 1 Why should I be registered in the NSR? Registration with the NSR ensures your recognition as a specialist in this country. Once you are in the register, your status as a specialist is known to your colleagues and the public. This will facilitate referral and consultation. 2 Can I be registered in the basic specialty as well as in a subspecialty? Yes, a specialist can be registered in his / her basic specialty and subspecialty in which he / she spends more than 50% of his / her time practising in. 3 Is registration with the NSR compulsory? Not at the moment, but will be so once the New Medical Act becomes law. 4 Once registered, is there a need to renew my r e g i s t r a t i o n? Yes, registration with NSR will be time-based and is valid for 5 years. It is renewable every 5 years upon documented proof of CME / CPD activities as required by the relevant Specialty Board. 5 H ow mu ch is the registration fee? One time payment of RM1,500 for all specialties. 6 Is there an annual pay m e n t? No, only the one time payment of RM1,500 which works out to RM300 per annum. 7 I am in the public sector, do I need to be registered with the NSR? All specialists will have to apply to be in the NSR. 8 I am in the public sector, do I need to pay the registration fee? Yes. 9 Do I need to renew my APC once I am in the N S R? Yes. APC is for all doctors in the country, whether specialists or non-specialists. 1 0 Do I still have to pay the annual fee to renew N ATIONAL SPECIALIST REGISTER F requently A s ked Questions P re p a red by AMM C o u n c i l my APC in addition to the RM1,500 above? Yes. This is a must for all practicing doctors in the country. 1 1 Do I need to be a member of the Academy of Medicine in order to be registered in the NSR? No, but you are encouraged to join the AMM. 1 2 Who are the people who vet / approve my a p p l i c a t i o n? The individual Specialty Board will vet / approve applications. The President of the MMC, also the Director General of Health, appoints members to the Specialty Board. The Board has representatives from MOH, universities and AMM. 1 3 Once I am registered in a specialty, does it mean I cannot do procedures outside my s p e c i a l t y? Credentialing of procedures is a separate exercise. Some hospitals are already granting privileges to specialists to do specific procedures. Generally you ll only be granted privileges to do procedures in your chosen specialty, except for procedures you have been trained in the basic specialty. 1 4 Will the NSR be accessible to anyone? Wi l l there be a fee if a non medical person wa n t s to ch e ck the list? The NSR is available and accessible in the website. Only the principal place of practice will be listed. 1 5 I am already a member of the AMM, and my name is listed in the AMM Specialist R e g i s t e r. Do I need to register with the NSR? You will have to apply to be in the NSR. 1 6 Please let me know all the av a i l a b l e specialties and subspecialties in the NSR. The available specialties and subspecialties are available in the website. 1 7 H ow long does it take to process my application? Approximately 3 to 4 months. 1 8 Where can I appeal if my application is rejected? Please send in your appeal to the NSR secretariat, along with the appropriate documents. Your appeal will be referred to the National Credentialing Committee (NCC). 1 9 Who is the governing body? Malaysian Medical Council. B E R I T A 2 A K A D E M I

3 Report MEDICAL DEVICES TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING 5 9 December 2004 Langkawi Lagoon Resort, Langkawi, Kedah Organized by Engineering Services Division, Ministry of Health, Malaysia Progress in the world of medicine involves the invention and development of new medical devices. These devices are wide ranging, from the simple tongue depressor and thermometer down to complex equipment like invasive monitors, imaging machines and cardiovascular implants. As such, a regulatory system that will ensure safety, high performance and efficacy of these devices is of great importance. The Ministry of Health (MOH) realized the urgent need for such a regulatory system for the local scene and took initiative to develop Malaysian Medical Devices Regulation.Renowned international experts in medical devices, with vast experience in WHO, EU Commission and the Global Harmonisation Task Force (GHTF), have been assisting the MOH on this project since middle of These experts have helped to prepare draft of guidance notes for pre-market,post-market and quality system requirements for medical devices in Malaysia. The main objective of this meeting was thus to discuss the draft that would later form the basis of the Malaysian Medical Devices Regulation. Invitation was extended to various parties directly or indirectly involved in the design,sale, use and maintenance of medical devices in Malaysia. The first two days of the meeting saw the experts, as well as MOH officials, briefing meeting delegates on the various guidance notes. The Strategic Plan of the Malaysian Medical Devices Regulation was also presented.based on the proposed timeline, the MOH hoped to enforce this regulation by the 4 th quarter of The third day was the perhaps the most important day where the delegates were divided into three working groups to study and discuss the draft document of the various guidance notes. The objective was to propose recommendations and improvement on the draft document. These working groups were namely the Pre-market, Post-market and User groups. Academy of Medicine was included in the last group, which looked into the draft document from the users point of view. Other members of this User working group were 10 MOH Clinical Consultants representing various medical specialities, a n d representatives from Institute of Medical Research (IMR), University of Malaya Medical Faculty, College of Radiology, Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and Health Technology Development Unit, MOH. Manufacturers, on the other hand, formed the majority in the Premarket group and engineers, the Post-market group. Evidently, a lot of effort had been put into getting as many relevant parties to be involved in the review of these guidance notes draft. The following were the main recommendations proposed by the User group to the Technical Committee: 1. To encourage the involvement of users (clinicians) in the design phase of medical devices, especially new devices manufactured locally. 2. To ensure proper documentation of any testing done in the design phase. 3. For medical devices that require clinical investigations before approval for sale, the User working group proposed that the Regulatory Authority designate several Research and Ethics Committees. GCP and ISO or any other standards that supercede should be the criteria for this designation. Liability for any adverse events during these investigations should be on the manufacturers/vendors. 4. With regard to user training,the User working group proposed that the Guidance Notes clearly define the different types of training to be provided by vendors i.e. familiarisation training, advanced user training, application training and continuous refresher course. The guidance notes should also emphasize that levels of training must be based on levels of risk, expertise and expected outcome. 5. Under the training chapter as well, to define clearly the responsibilities of various parties involved in training i.e. the authority, manufacturer, organisation/ facility (e.g. hospital) and the user (e.g. clinicians). 6. The User working group fully supported the recommendation for documentation of training using a Medical Device Training Record form. This documentation should be based on the levels of risk involved. For low- risk devices, certification by the user should suffice. However, for high- risk devices, certification by both user and manufacturer or credentialing authority would be required. In these forms, the users would be able to indicate whether they have received training from certified or credentialled trainer. 7. The vendors should also be responsible to provide the most current instructions to the users based on recent advances in medical devices technology. 8. The Regulatory Authority should form a committee that would look into Medical Devices advertisements. 9. The User Working Group fully support the proposal that all medical device adverse events be reported to the Regulatory Authority and manufacturers. We were also in favour of the idea of having a Liaison Officer, depending on the size of the facility and the workload, who would be in charge of adverse event reporting. 10. For the Guidance Notes on Effective Operation and Good Maintenance Management of Medical Devices, the User working group called for a provision that would state the importance of minimizing the down time and turn over time of critical medical devices (e.g. ventilators) that require repair. The Guidance Notes should also further emphasize that such devices must be returned in good working condition. 11. As these Guidance Notes would partly be the basis of the proposed Medical Devices Regulation and Act, the User working group also took the opportunity to strongly express our concerns on the following issues: 1. inappropriate use of medical devices by non healthcare professionals (e.g. the use of laser by beauticians) 2. use of non-approved (by Regulatory Authority e.g. PDA) of certain devices by healthcare professional themselves (e.g. devices used for colon cleansing therapy) 3. use of devices deemed 'harmless' by local traditional practitioners (e.g. bekam) The group hoped that the MOH would address these issues during the formulation of the actual Medical Devices Regulation and Act. Overall,the meeting had been successful in getting the views of various stakeholders of medical devices in Malaysia. We hope that the MOH would take note of all the proposed recommendations and that the final draft document would satisfy the needs of all relevant parties. e B E R I T A 3 A K A D E M I

4 News from the College of Public Health Medicine News 4 th National from the College Public of Health Public Health Conference Medicine 2005 by Dr Amal Nasir Mustafa Honorary Secretary, College of Public Health Medicine, AMM 4 th National Public Health Conference 2005 The Ministry of Health Malaysia and Public Health Specialist Association of Malaysia in collaboration with the College of Public Health Medicine, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia and Public Health Department of UKM, UM, UPM, USM, UMS, UIA, and IMU will jointly organise by Dr Amal the 4Nasir th National Mustafa Public Health Honorary Conference Secretary, College It will be of held Public from Health Medicine, March 2005 AMM at the Putrajaya Marriot Hotel, Putrajaya. The theme of the Conference is Galvanising Public Health Initiatives In Enhancing Population Health, which is also the title The Ministry of Health Malaysia and Public Health Specialist Association of Malaysia in collaboration with the of the keynote paper, which will be delivered by the Director General of Health Malaysia. A total of 3 plenary, 35 symposium and 50 free College (oral) of papers Public will Health be presented Medicine, over the Academy three days. of Medicine of Malaysia and Public Health Department of UKM, UM, UPM, USM, UMS, UIA, and IMU will jointly organise the 4 th National Public Health Conference It will be held AGM, College of Public Health Medicine, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia from March 2005 at the Putrajaya Marriot Hotel, Putrajaya. The theme of the Conference is Galvanising In conjunction with the 4 th National Public Health Conference 2005, the Annual General Meeting of the College of Public Health Medicine, Public Health Academy Initiatives of Medicine In Enhancing of Malaysia will Population be held on Health, the 17 March which 2005 is also (Thursday) the title at 1230 of the pm at keynote the Putrajaya paper, Marriot which Hotel, will Putrajaya. The presence and participation of all members of the College in the AGM is highly appreciated. be delivered by the Director General of Health Malaysia. A total of 3 plenary, 35 symposium and 50 free (oral) papers will be presented over the three days. AGM, College of Public Health Medicine, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia In conjunction with the 4 th National Public Health Conference 2005, the Annual General Meeting of the College of Public Health Medicine, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia will be held on the 17 March 2005 (Thursday) at 1230 pm at the Putrajaya Marriot Hotel, Putrajaya. The presence and participation of all members of the College in the AGM is highly appreciated. News from the College of Radiology A Sound Evening with David Cosgrove 15 Febru a ry 2005 by DR EVELYN HO Radiologists and sonographers were updated with the advanced techniques in Clinical Ultrasound. Ultrasound,the ability to image the body using sound waves has and is undergoing great progress. New applications and confirmation of diagnosis (without resorting to CT or MRI scans) using contrast agent imaging (Sonovue) and Cadence contrast pulse sequencing technology was presented. Prof Dr David O Cosgrove is Professor of Clinical Ultrasound, Imperial College of Medicine, London,United Kingdom and also Honorary Consultant in Radiology, Hammersmith Hospital,London.Dr Cosgrove has written more than 100 peer reviewed papers. The topics reflected Dr Cosgrove s academic activity in advancing the clinical role of r a d i o l o g i c a l ultrasound (non-obstetric uses), f u rthering the understanding of the basic mechanisms of the ultrasound image-forming process and of Doppler as well as the exploring new clinical applications of m i c robubble agents introduced into the blood vessels. The latter has proven useful particularly in imaging of the live r, and could diagnose a haemangioma (benign tumour due to disordered growth of blood vessels) with certainty without resorting to a CT scan or MRI scan. This evening talk, held in PJ Hilton on 15 February 2005 was organized by the College of Radiology. The audience during the Q & A session. Chatting with Prof Cosgrove: From L to R:Dr Alex Tang,Prof Cosgrove, Puan Rose and Dr Martin Wastie. B E R I T A 4 A K A D E M I

5 Ministry of Health Malaysia Academy of Medicine of Malaysia (incorporating the 8 th Scientific Meeting of the National Institutes of Health) 1 to 3 September 2005 The Legend Hotel, Kuala Lumpur Theme: Interfacing Clinical Medicine, Medical Research and Public Health 2005 Hospital Medicine: Emergency Medicine Emerging Diseases in Public Health: New Zoonoses Dengue HF, Vaccinations, Malaria, TB, Leprosy, Hepatitis C National Health Financing:Addressing the Financial Issues in Healthcare Mental Health: Depression and Stress in Primary Care Community-based Palliative Care Geriatric Medicine: Prevention and Early Management of Common Problems Medical Ethics: New Issues for an Old Profession Medical Writing Workshop Sexual Medicine: What s New? Laboratory Medicine: Benchmarks and Limitations T E N TATIVE TO P I C S Health Promotion and Disease Prevention: Is it Cost-effective? Management of Chronic Pain Molecular Medicine: Practical Applications Transplant Medicine: Current Issues Advances in Dental Therapeutics Rheumatology: A Relook at Lupus and Biologic Therapies Sleep Disorders Womens Health: HRT and Osteoporosis Advances in the Management of Parkinson s Disease Commercialised Diagnostic Imaging: What s Up? Unproven Therapies: Challenges and Controversies The Annual AMM Debate 2 N D N ATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ADDICTION MEDICINE 3 4 September The Legend Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Organiser: Academy of Medicine of Malaysia & Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations, Malaysia Secretariat: 19 Jalan Folly Barat, Kuala Lumpur Website : B E R I T A 5 A K A D E M I

6 12 13 March 2005 (Saturday Sunday) HEPATOLOGY USMUGENT CONFERENCE 2005 Organiser : Universiti Sains Malaysia & University of Gent Venue : Department of Medicine, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia perubatan@kb.usm.my March 2005 ( Thursday Sunday) 4 TH ASEAN CONFERENCE IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE EMERGING TRENDS IN PRIMARY CARE Organiser : Perak Medical Practitioners Society (PMPS) Venue : Casuarina Hotel, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia Secretariat : c/o Ipoh Specialist Hospital 26 Jalan Raja Dihilir, Ipoh, Perak Tel : (Ms Wendy Wo n g ) Fax : , asean@pfizer.com Website : March 2005 ( Thursday Sunday) 12 TH ANNUAL PERINATAL CONGRESS & SCIENTIFIC MEETING Organiser : Perinatal Society of Malaysia Venue : Royal Adelphi Hotel, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia Secretariat : Dr Japaraj Robert Peter c/o Department of O & G Hopital Ipoh, Ipoh, Perak Tel : japaraj@hotmail.com March 2005 (Friday Sunday) ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING OF THE MALAYSIAN SOCIETY OF ANAESTHESIOLOGISTS AND THE COLLEGE OF ANAESTHESIOLOGISTS, ACADEMY OF MEDICINE OF MALAYSIA AN UPDATE OF ANAESTHESIOLOGY & INTENSIVE CARE Organiser : Malaysian Society of Anaesthesiologists Venue Secretariat : Bayview Beach Resort, Penang, Malaysia : c/o B Braun Medical Supplies Sdn Bhd Grd, 1 st & 2 nd Flr, Bangunan Hino Lot PT24 Jalan 223, Section 51A Petaling Jaya, Selangor Tel : Fax : , Website : April 2005 (Friday Sunday) ENDOSCOPY 2005 DEFINING THE SCOPE OF EXCELLENCE Organiser : Malaysian Society of Gastroenterology & Hepatology & Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya Medical Centre Venue : Dewan Jemerlang, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Website : April 2005 (Friday Sunday) 8 TH ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING AND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Organiser : Malaysian Association of Plastic, Aesthetic & Craniomaxillofacial Surgeons Venue : Hospital Penang, Penang, Malaysia April 2005 (Saturday Sunday) AGM/ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING OF THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS, AMM UPDATES 2005 Organiser : College of Physicians, AMM Venue : Crowne Plaza Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Website ; April 2005 ( Thursday Sunday) 5 TH MALAYSIAN CONGRESS ON MENOPAUSE CHALLENGES IN MENOPAUSE MANAGEMENT Organiser : Malaysian Menopause Society Venue : Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel, Petaling Jaya Selangor, Malaysia Secretariat : c/o Organon (M)Sdn Bhd Bangunan A Level 4 Peremba Square Saujana Resort, Section U2, Shah Alam, Selangor C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S Tel : (Ms Magdalene Hon) Fax : mag@organon.com.my, drchoon@pd.jaring.my Website : 30 April 2005 ( S a t u r d a y ) ACADEMY EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT FUND DINNER Organiser : Academy of Medicine of Malaysia & Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia Venue : Grand Ballroom, Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Website : 30 April 02 May 2005 (Saturday Monday) SECOND MALAYSIAN CONFERENCE ON ANTI-AGING MEDICINE Organiser : Society for Anti-Aging Medicine Malaysia Venue : Nikko Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia dr_harnam@hotmail.com, info@saamm.com Website : 30 April 01 May 2005 (Saturday Sunday) ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING & 45 TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF PMPASKL Organiser : Private Medical Practitioners Associations of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Venue : Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia May 2005 (Friday Sunday) INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HEALTH SCIENCES LESSONS LEARNT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES Organiser : Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya Venue Secretariat B E R I T A 6 A K A D E M I : Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia : Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel : Fax : ichs-um@ummc.edu.my Website : May 2005 (Saturday Sunday) BENGKEL DIAGNOSIS MALARIA SECARA MIKROSKOPIK Organiser : Jabatan Parasitologi & Entomologi Perubatan, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Venue : Jabatan Parasitologi & Entomologi Perubatan Blok E Paras 3, Fakulti Perubatan, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Kampus, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia syamsa@medic.ukm.my May 2005 ( Thursday Saturday) 6 TH NATIONAL CONGRESS ON GENETICS BEYOND GENOME: HARNESSING THE POTENTIAL Organiser : Genetic Society of Malaysia & International Medical University Venue : TBA Secretariat : International Medical University Sesama Centre, Plaza Komanwel, Bukit Jalil KualaLumpur Tel : Fax : mnizam@imu.edu.my, cathya@imu.edu.my May 2005 ( Thursday Sunday) 35 TH AGM & ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING OF MALAYSIAN ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATION Organiser : Malaysian Orthopaedic Association Venue : Mega Hotel, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia Website :

7 13 15 May 2005 (Friday Sunday) AGM/ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING OF MSO-HNS Organiser : Malaysian Society of Otorhinolaryngologists - Head & Neck Surgeons (MSO-HNS) Venue : Putrajaya Marriott Hotel, Putrajaya, Malaysia May 2005 ( Thursday Sunday) 45 TH MMA NATIONAL AGM AND SCIENTIFIC MEETING Organiser : Malaysian Medical Association Venue : Equatorial Hotel, Melaka, Malaysia Website : June 2005 ( Thursday Sunday) 15 TH MALAYSIAN CONGRESS OF O & G Organiser : Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Malaysia Venue : Hotel Equatorial, Penang, Malaysia Secretariat : O & G Society of Malaysia Suite C Plaza Mont Kiara No 2 Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur Tel : Fax : ogsm@po.jaring.my June 2005 (Friday Sunday) AGM/ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING OF COLLEGE OF SURGEONS, AMM Organiser : College of Surgeons, AMM Venue : Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Penang, Malaysia Website : June 2005 ( Thursday Sunday) 9 TH CONGRESS OF THE ASIAN PAN-PACIFIC SOCIETY OF PAEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY, HEPATOLOGY AND NUTRITION Organiser : Malaysian Paediatric Association Venue : Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia mpaeds@po.jaring.my Website : June 2005 ( Thursday Saturday) GUT 2005 Organiser : Malaysian Society of Gastroenterology & Hepatology Venue : The Andaman Langkawi, Pulau Langkawi, Malaysia Website : July 2005 (Friday Sunday) INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF NEPHROLOGY 2005 SATELLITE SYMPOSIUM ON ACUTE RENAL FAILURE ACUTE RENAL FAILURE FROM BENCH TO BEDSIDE Organiser : Malaysian Society of Nephrology Venue Secretariat : Mutiara Beach Resort, Penang, Malaysia : Malaysian Society of Nephrology c/o Department of Nephrology Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Pahang, KualaLumpur Tel : Fax : moss@po.jaring.my July 2005 (Friday Sunday) 8 TH ANNUAL CONGRESS OF MALAYSIAN THORACIC SOCIETY Organiser : Malaysian Thoracic Society Venue : Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Secretariat : 8 th MTS Annual Congress 19 Jalan Folly Barat, KualaLumpur Website : C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S ( C o n t i n u e d ) July 2005 ( Thursday Sunday) 6 TH LIVER UPDATE Organiser : Malaysian Liver Foundation Venue : Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel, Petaling Jaya Selangor, Malaysia Secretariat : 10-2 & 10-3 Jalan 25/70A Desa Sri Hartamas, KualaLumpur Tel : Fax : liverupdate@liver.org.my Website : August 2005 ( Thursday Sunday) BIENNIAL GENERAL MEETING/ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING OF MALAYSIAN ASSOCIATION FOR THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGEONS Organiser : Malaysian Association for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons Venue : Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia August 2005 ( Thursday Sunday) 1 ST POSNA ASEAN PAEDIATRIC ORTHOPAEDIC COURSE Organiser : Malaysian Orthopaedic Association Venue : Trauma Centre, University Malaya Medical Centre Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Website : September 2005 ( Thursday Saturday) 6 TH MOH-AMM SCIENTIFIC MEETING (incorporating the 8 th Scientific Meeting of the National Institutes of Health) Organiser : Academy of Medicine of Malaysia & Ministry of Health Malaysia Venue : The Legend Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Website : September 2005 (Saturday Sunday) 2 ND NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ADDICTION MEDICINE Organiser : Academy of Medicine of Malaysia & Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations, Malaysia Venue : The Legend Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Website : September 2005 (Friday Sunday) 3 RD NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INTENSIVE CARE Organiser : Critical Care Medicine Section, Malaysian Society of Anaesthesiologists Venue : Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Secretariat : 3 rd NCIC Secretariat 19 Jalan Folly Barat, Kuala Lumpur Website : 28 September 02 October 2005 ( Wednesday S u n d a y ) 7 TH ASIAN CONGRESS OF DERMATOLOGY (INCORPORATING THE 5 TH REGIONAL CONFERENCE OF PAEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY) CLINICAL DERMATOLOGY IN ASIA 2005 AND BEYOND Organiser : Dermatological Society of Malaysia Venue : Hilton Kuala Lumpur & Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Secretariat : 7 th Asian Congress of Dermatology 19 Jalan Folly Barat, Kuala Lumpur B E R I T A 7 A K A D E M I

8 Academy Education And Development Fund Fund Raising Dinner by PROF DATO KHALID ABDUL KADIR Chairman, Fund Raising Committee Th e r e i s l e s s than two months to our first major fund raising activity, the Fund Raising Dinner to be held on 30 April 2005 at the Grand Ballroom, S u n way Lagoon Resort Hotel, Petaling Ja y a, S e l a n g o r. The Academy will confer Honorary Fellowship on Tun Dr Mahathir b Mohamad and Tun Dr Siti Hasmah bt Mohd Ali on the same evening. We have sent letters of appeal to every fellow and member of the Academy, to traditional friends of the Academy, to the pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies. We have also sent letters of appeal to philanthropists and various firms and companies that had donated in the past. Sad to say, to date, we have collected only RM 330,000 as at 28 February The response has not been good. Some philanthropists and companies had already donated to the tsunami fund or to victims of the tsunami disaster. Some members and fellows had been reluctant to donate the minimum amount of RM1,000, with the excuse that the dinner is too expensive. Perhaps it is pertinent to reiterate here that the Academies of Medicine Building is NOT a charitable building.it is going to be a building to be erected on land given by the government 20 years ago for the purpose of educational and professional development of the profession. Only the profession, i.e. doctors, will benefit from it. Thus it is difficult for others to donate for a building that is solely for our professional development, and not for charity. For that reason,it is important for all of us to chip in and contribute. The RM1,000 is not just for the dinner. It includes donating to the building,and at the same time, gives us a good chance of winning one of the four cars. The Master, Deputy Master as well as Past Masters have all pledged RM10,000 each.one of our Past Master, Dato Dr Mahmood Merican,has donated RM100,000.Dato Dr Khoo Kah Lin has also donated RM100,000. The Kuok Foundation Berhad has pledged a donation of RM100,000 and Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow of Public Bank Berhad has personally pledged RM50,000. There are also non-members of the Academies who have contributed significant amounts. It is thus important for all of us to play our role, contribute to the fund, and try to get friends and relatives to also donate or buy tickets. Perhaps if all of us play a role, the target of RM2 million will become a reality. Please donate. Academy of Medicine of Malaysia 19 Jalan Folly Barat Kuala Lumpur Please tick I hereby donate RM (Cheque ) to the Academy Education and Development Fund. [Payment to be issued in favour of ACADEMY OF MEDICINE OF MALAYSIA] I wish my name to appear in the plaque as follows : I will be able to attend the Dinner on 30 April I will be given draw ticket(s) [1 ticket for each RM1000 donation] and will require dinner invitation(s). [1 dinner seat for each RM1000 donation but you do not have to take up all the dinner seats] I will not be able to attend the Dinner on 30 April Please send me the draw ticket(s). Name : Title : New I.C. No. / Passport No. : Mailing Address : D O N A T I O N I N D I V I D U A L S All donations to Academy of Medicine of Malaysia are tax exempt Reference: LHDN.01/35/42/51/ Warta Kerajaan Bil: 947 dated 14/03/1968 Tel No : Fax No : Mobile : Signature : Date : F O R O F F I C E U S E Amount : RM Payment : Cash / Cheque No. : Official Receipt : No. of Draw Tickets : Draw Ticket Nos. : No. of Dinner Tickets : Dinner Ticket Nos. :