::Vacancies::

On my way to the office yesterday, I overheard the DJ read a few headlines of the day.
This one really caught my attention..


We need at least 200 oncologists but have only 39, says Liow

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is currently facing an acute shortage of oncologists, said Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai.
He said the ideal ratio should be eight oncologists per one million people.
“So for Malaysia’s population of 26 million, we should have at least 200 oncologists, but we have only 39 at the moment.
“We are very, very short on oncologists,” he told reporters after opening the First Asia Pacific Conference on Healthy Policy and Planning yesterday.
He added that foreign oncologists had been brought in, but the numbers were still low.
It does not help that there are about 30,000 to 40,000 new cancer cases each year.
“According to the first National Cancer Registry report in 2002, Malaysia men and women have among the world’s highest rate of nasopharyngeal, laryngeal and cervical cancers,” he said.
Liow added the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated 7.6 million people died of cancer in 2005 and that another 84 million people will die from cancer in the next 10 years.
To deal with the problem, Liow said that more oncologists needed to be trained.
“The Health Ministry is also finalising a National Cancer Management Blueprint for the period of 2008 to 2015 which will streamline the fight against cancer. I will have to brief the Cabinet first.
“With this blueprint, our vision is that by 2025, cancer will no longer be a public health problem in Malaysia,” he said.
He added that the Ministry was in the process of building a National Cancer Institute in Putrajaya under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.
“This will be a national referral centre for cancer in the same manner as the National Heart Institute is for heart diseases,” he said.

All cancer patients, after the tumor removal will normally consult oncologists to see next course of action, whether radiotherapy, chemotherapy or even nuclear therapy!!

Yes, I would say oncologists are really close to me..
Out of 39, I already met more or less 10 of them. 6 alone are in HUKM, another 5 when I was in Damansara Specialist.
Their assistance, advice & patience while attending to my case will never be forgotten. May Allah bless you all for your noble job. Amin..

So, if any of your kin wish to be a doctor, hope they will fill in this vacancy. This is my plea, really..

P/S: I wish my daughter too.. :-)