Safeguards to ensure high standards from foreign doctors

05 Oct 2007, Today

Question

Name of the Person: Cheng Shoong Tat

Are foreign medical degree holders 'safe'?

Wednesday October 3, 2007

I READ with concern reports that the Ministry of Health (MOH) has withdrawn recognition of the medical degree from an Indian medical school, only after being informed by the Indian authorities that they intend to stop recognising the degree.

The MOH has assured Singaporeans that only top foreign medical degrees will be recognised here. How then could a "top" Indian medical school be denied recognition in its own country, shortly after being recognised in Singapore?

Has the MOH done enough to verify the recruitment, teaching, assessment and quality control of the foreign medical degrees it recognises, so as to ensure that doctors with such qualifications — practising in Singapore — are "safe" and reliable? 

Reply

Name of the Person: Ms Karen Tan

Director, Corporate Communications

Ministry of Health 

Name of the Person: Dr Lau Hong Choon

Executive Secretary

Singapore Medical Council

Safeguards to ensure high standards from foreign doctors

Mr Cheng Shoong Tat asked "Are foreign medical degree holders 'safe'?" (TDY, 3 October) when he noted the withdrawal of our recognition of the medical degree from the Kasturba Medical College (KMC) of India.

The KMC is listed in many international directories of recognised medical schools and was consistently ranked among the top ten Indian medical schools in annual surveys conducted by India Today. However, when the Indian Medical Council recently decided to withdraw the recognition of KMC, we felt it prudent to follow suit.

We are committed to ensuring high standards of medical care. Graduates with recognised degrees do not enjoy automatic practice right.  They can only be registered conditionally and are supervised by senior doctors for up to 4 years. If the regular supervisory reports show any one to be of non-acceptable standard, the registration will be withdrawn.