We’re losing our best brains to other countries

AS we observe another batch of overseas trained medical students graduate this year-end, the thought of Malaysia losing another batch of government-sponsored doctors – ie, Public Service Department (better known by its Malay acronym, JPA) or Mara-sponsored – to developed nations like Britain and Australia becomes a reality.

Every year around this time, medical internships are offered to the best qualified international medical graduates, a large number of whom are the creme de la creme of our scholars studying in prestigious universities under PSD scholarships.

Isn’t it ironical that our PSD scho- larship programme has, in fact, “exported” talented doctors out of the country instead of offering immediate jobs to the scholars to retain them?

While the government is chasing local graduates to repay their PTPTN (National Higher Education Fund Corp) student loans, what happens to overseas medical graduates sponsored by the government who “go off the radar” and abscond to serve another country?

This significant governmental loss in human capital development investment is rarely accounted for unlike the RM39bil PTPTN debt that has been publicised in the media lately.

One cannot deny that the government spent a hefty amount of at least RM1mil to train each of these medical graduates overseas.

If the PSD can take more proactive measures and stringent action against scholarship defaulters, Malaysia can retain these brilliant students that other countries are eyeing.

If the PSD recognised the students’ excellence by offering them a scholarship to study overseas, it should be the PSD’s duty to retain this brilliant pool in Malaysia upon graduation.

Housemanship applications by PSD scholars should be fast-tracked to prevent these medical graduates from getting job postings elsewhere – in fact, postings should be offered to them during their final year of studies.

Malaysia needs this creme de la creme to start work immediately upon graduation, not serve another country or sit aimlessly at home. PSD scholars must be given a posting as soon as possible so that they can continue further into a masters programme and sub-specialisation, and, ultimately, serve the people of Malaysia effectively.

Why bother to sponsor if the PSD does not have jobs for the scholars?

CONCERNED SCHOLAR Muar, Johor