Each of us received an email to say that the launching of the Brunei Medical Association has been postponed to August. We just hope that this association will represent us properly and will be able to protect interests of doctors. According to it’s constitution, no director will be able to be a member of the committee and no non-locals are able to vote during the elections.
That is a good start. At least this is one major medical body that the admin in Jalan Menteri Besar cannot directly control. We just hope more doctors will see it this, and the Brunei Medical Association as a whole, in a positive way. We certainly did not a few months ago until the interim committee convinced some of us otherwise.
One Comment
Dear President of BMA,
I am not sure when you would be elected or whether you would ever be elected but may I highlight one of the issues that await you as you take on your new job. The issue is on medical manpower in the Ministry of Health. Could I ask for your advice/comments on the following (perhaps MOH might be able to help you):
1. Does MOH have a professional (and I highlight professional) Human Resource Department to manage existing and future manpower requirements?
2. Do we know how many of our local doctors training in the different countries are due to return to join the Ministry this year or the next and so on?
3. Do we know how many expatriate doctors have left the country over the last few years and for what reason?
4. Do we know how many local doctors have left or are thinking of leaving the service after the bond is up and for what reasons?
5. Do we know where are we in the global competition for “foreign talent”?
6. Do we know what are the current doctor requirements for each of the different directorates for Ministry of Health e.g. Medical, Public Health and Primary Health Care?
7. Do we know if we are matching those requirements and if not, do we have a strategy for matching it?
8. Do we know what the future medical manpower requirements are especially with the population expansion, aging population and increased expectations?
9. Do we know the current strategy for solving medical manpower shortages especially in the directorate of medical services is akin to stealing from Peter to pay Paul (i.e. moving doctors from one place to another, chasing to cover the shortages)
10. Do we know that if we leave the medical manpower issue as it is to whoever is running it, we will be hitting a giant iceberg sometime in the future.
I hope the questions above do not put you off your presidency and I wish you all the best in your job ahead.
Yours sincerely,