Xenophobia, Racial and Religious Discriminations blocking the private doctors’ Postings for the training everywhere

Dr Thet Thet Soe had asked me, “I’d like to know whether there are any postings for clinical. I’ve passed MRCP Part 1 and want to get on-job-training there. Pl advice me how shall i proceed?”

Dear Dr Thet Thet Soe,

                                 In Malaysia and Singapore, as the members of the ASEAN, which is acting as a club for governments and neglect the citizens, Myanmar Government endorsed doctors only could get official postings to get on-job-training. Other Myanmar citizens need to attend the MSc in Medicine or relevant subjects to get the required, MRCP approved training in Malaysia. Singapore conveniently just ignores the ordinary Myanmar Doctors.

Similar practices are sadly practicing in most of the countries around the world, including the so called ‘democratic’ and ‘free’ UK.

Those governments had given various excuses to deny me the required training after I passed the MRCOG Part 1, held in Singapore. Although I had 10 yrs of experience, the MRCOG board recognized it as 2 slots of six months each only.

(According to my Professors and Rectors, may be, they value the Demonstrator posts in Medical University.) MRCOG told me to get another year of training in OG proper. But I could not even get that proper training in Malaysia, Singapore and Myanmar.

Nowadays, as UK is under EU, they are freely allowing EU member doctors from poor former East Europe. All the other doctors must get the Immigration approval. In my POV (Point of View) his is also a form of an unfair DISCRIMINATION against other doctors coming from the whole world. This is not MARITOCRACY nor DEMOCRACY but EU CRAZY only.

Even for the Malaysian doctors, who used to enjoy free visa status and easy training or working in UK, I had read the news about UK Immigration, requiring a letter from the Malaysian Ministry of Health that the doctor’s service (seeking training in UK) is required by Malaysian Government.

But one of my patient’s daughter, Malay doctor, passed the MRCP Part 1&2 simultaneously. She got the required training in Australia after passing Australian exam in KL.

When I got the degree in Dec 1975, it was still recognized by General Medical Council (now changed the name) of UK but later only, after 1981 or 1983, they derecognized the Burmese Degrees.

When I applied for the registration, they illegally backdated the effect of the new law and said that I failed to apply earlier and the registration for Burma is closed. I appealed to them with the legitimate excuse that General Ne Win’s Socialist Government never allowed the ordinary citizens and doctors to hold FE (Foreign Exchange) or to legally send the required registration fees of 60.00 pound. They refused to accept and my Medical Defense Insurance Company from Hong Kong (still under British at that time) refused to fight for me. Since then, I stopped paying them the insurance fees because if they even refused to fight for the registration for the doctors, they are useless for me. I even sent a copy of the my MO appointment letter from the Brunei Government requesting me for the GMC registration. They stated that after processing my application, they are satisfied with my qualification and experience but they need the GMC approval.

National University of Singapore advertized in the Malaysian Newspapers offering training for the foreign doctors in O&G who had 5 yrs’ working experience in any field. They stated that those who passed the MRCOG Part 1 would be given priority. I applied to them and sent one copy to the PM Mr Lee with the appeal letter, stating that although I was qualified, applying for the training posts meant for the foreigners, NUS would give a flimsy lame excuse that my basic M.B., B.S. from Burma (not changed to new name at that time.) was not recognized by Singapore. I reminded him that Singapore had accepted numerous doctors sent or endorsed by the Myanmar government for the specialized training. PM Mr Lee’s secretary replied a letter to me that Mr Lee let the NUS to decide for my application but did not wish to interfere in their work. Later only I knew that those RACIST KAISU Singaporens just want to attract the Malaysian Chinese doctors.

When I got the rejection letter from NUS, I wrote a very strong letter protesting the Singapore’s discriminatory policy on even training foreign doctors.

And for the training in Malaysia, this country is also willing to train any doctor/specialist endorsed by Myanmar government. But for the individual doctors wishing to get training, just look at the problems I encountered.

I applied to many Universities but after even could not get an acknowledged receipts for my applications, at last, I accepted the job offer from the Welfare Organization for my survival.

Later, I wrote an appeal letter to the Minister of Education and tried to hand over the application or appeal to the Education Minister. Although I could not see the Ed. Minister because he was away, his secretary sent my application to the Chairman of The University Hospital Governing Board of Directors, under University Malaya. The Chairman sent the letter to the Director of the hospital. The Director replied that the hospital could accept me.

When I went there for enquiry, the Malay Muslim Director was kind hearted and advised me to fill up the formal application forms and sent me to see O&G Professor / Head of Department, a Hindu Indian. He told me that there were 12 slots in the MRCOG recognized training and it was even difficult for the citizen-Indians to get the post. To make it short, I got the job offer but the MMC or Malaysian Medical Council refused to grant me an approval. They stubbornly told me that as they had just approved the three years’ extension of the Medical Registration to work with the Welfare Organization. They said that the foreign doctors are not allowed to change work place.

I appealed 9 times with the newspaper cutting of the Malaysian International Trade Minister Ms Rafidah Aziz’s promise at the WTO meeting in Australia. She said that according to the WTO agreement, the foreign professionals like doctors and engineers are allowed to change from one work place to another in Malaysia. I appealed to the MMC that she had made that promise to the International body under UN as a representative of the Malaysian Government, PM and Cabinet. They need to honour the promise.

At last, I even wrote a complaint letter to the Deputy Health Minister to instruct the DG under him, who was the MMC Chairman, and even threatened to sue the MMC for my loss of income. Because of MMC’s first letter stating that they could not issue another registration, I resigned from my job and the Welfare boss also agreed my resignation and issued a release order for me. After all we do not have any official contract but just extensions with the verbal agreement to continue to work only. After waiting for about 9 months, I had to appeal my old boss, DG of the Welfare Association to accept me to work back for them. The boss was kind enough to accept me back.

After waiting or wasting the three years to expire the MMC registration, I went back to UH. The job offer was expired and I was told that if I want the official training post for MRCOG, I have to attend the Masters in Obs & Gynae offered by UM. As I had passed the MRCOG Part 1, they would give exemption to me for the MSc Part 1 exam. I agreed but need to go through the application process for both positions. MSc entrance was decided by UM board and Medical Officer Post approval had to go to the PSD/MMC/Immigration. (PSD = Public Service Department)

But the CATCH 22 was, to practice while studying, I need a MMC Registration. So after getting the 4 yrs MMC Registration to study, MMC refused to give a green light to work, using the same old LAME EXCUSE that the foreigners could not be issued 2 MMC Registrations.

I decided to continue the training but the Head of the Department ordered that I was exempted from examination only but need to go and work in A&E and Surgery Departments as a first year trainee. I do not need those 2 slots as I had even got the approval for those two slots from MRCOG UK. I fed up with the process and refused to even attend the MSc. I never appeal to MMC as it may fall on deaf ears but the UH authorities were kind enough and appealed for me and I got the approval one year later.

So I went through those two training slots for one year. I got the taste of the busy, overworked and underpaid MOs. I had to leave the house before 6.00 AM, arrived home after 10 PM. Even need to go to hospital on Sundays and all the holidays. Need to take 24+12 hr duty for 8-10 times per month, including Saturdays or Sundays. The worse part is, we have to do Sunday on-duty, no off  day given on Monday.

So once I got PR, (called Red IC which is equivalent to the Green Card) I withdrew from MSc course and applied to transfer to the Accident and Emergency Department, where the job was tougher, more demanding but need to only work in 8 hrs shifts. There I could work as a locum doctor moonlighting in private practice.

I had to sacrifice my carrier because the salary for MO was too low and they refused to give quarters and refused to accept our children in the University I was working. How could we effort to send our children to the very expensive private universities when we are denied any form supports from the government like the locals. And we need to even pay more than the persons who were supported with all kind of help using our tax money. Even after we got the PR, we need to pay more.

Later, there was a new ruling allowing the foreign doctors to work and study if they got the MO posts first and applied for Post graduate training later. But nowadays, MMC practice a Xenophobic practice and strictly refused the foreign doctors to get a paid job while undergoing a training until and unless he had got the PR.

You may think I was bad mouthing all the countries and never tried in my own country. Although I was qualified to attend any Master Course as I got all round 4s, that was near dictinction marks in all the subjects, according to the Universities’ Act. That was even pointed out at the Parliament Science and Education Committee meeting by our late Rector MP Prof U Tun Thin. He told us that he had even mentioned the present Medical University Rector Prof U Than Win and my name as an example. According to the University Act, after one year training under a consultant the student who got 5 in that subject or who got 4 in all the subjects are exempted from sitting the MSC qualifying examinations.

Although I got the top marks in the written examinations for Masters Entrance exams in Burma under Ne Win’s government, they failed me for 4 times. At last DG U Shwe Tin told that even if I were a Chinese, they could accept me but as a Muslim, he labelled me with a RACIST word Kala and refused to accept for post graduate course. Thank God, the present leaders are much better than RACIST Ne Win’s apartheid government and accepting Muslims.

I was the student of the O&G Professor Daw Kyu Kyu Swe. She had done Hysterectomy on my mother and had taken care of my wife’s AN cares during our two children. Her husband was the Health Minister and she was closed to the former PM General Khin Nyunt’s wife while working with the Women and Children NGO. During her visits to KL, Myanmar Embassy was usually busy with other General/Ministers visits. We were requested by the HE Ambassadors to help her during the visits. So later she would call the Myanmar Embassy to inform her visits to us in advance.

She knew about my plight of badly requiring the training and volunteer to help. She even kindly requested my letter giving her authority to arrange my training in Myanmar. I even informed her that I am willing to work as a volunteer but if MRCOG board wish to recognize the salaried staff, I could work with the salary of 300 Kyats per month for at least a year. That was equivalent to only RM 1.00 or 0.30 cents in US a month,  the amount they pay for the voluntary House Surgeons.

But the lower ranking officers in Ministry of Health and DGME refused to accept me by giving the lame excuse to the Minister that I had left the country by kicking off? Actually although I left because of the unfair racial discriminations and denying me the post graduate studies locally, I dare not open my mouth because of scare of denying the Education clearance and Passport.

So I think the best for you is to get at least one year training under a consultant and ask that consultant to write a letter of recommendation and to contact his/her friends Physicians in UK to arrange for your training job. May be you get the Myanmar MSc first or if possible five years’ experience. Malaysia usually needs five years experience after graduation even to appoint as a MO.

If you are financially secure to spend and stay in KL without income and could pay for the fees, it is very easy to get into the MSc course  as there is no much discrimination on race and religion even on foreigners.