KUALA LUMPUR: Employers have been told to introduce a sound monitoring system to screen dubious medical certificates produced by their employees.

Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor HishamAbdullah said as the issue of fake MCs were becoming more prevalent, itwas the employers’ right to seek clarity over the MCsissued.

He warned doctors, especially in private practice, againstselling MCs, saying that they faced the risk of prosecution.

“Doctors should adhere to their code of conduct and notviolate the trust given to them by society.“

“Employers should continuously seek clarity of the MCs given out bytheir (employees’) doctors and action should be taken againstdoctors giving out dubious MCs,” he said.

On Saturday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Sub ramaniam warned medical practitioners against selling MCsor risk having their licence to practise revoked.

Their action, he said, brought shame to the profession.

“Doctors involved in such unethical practices will be referred tothe Malaysian Medical Council,” he said.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission director of in vestigations Datuk Mustafar Ali had also said that selling ofMCs was tantamount to corruption.

He said commission would investigate doctors suspected ofdoing this under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-CorruptionAct 2009.

Meanwhile the Medical Association (MMA) has also laudedcalls to weed out doctors guilty of this.

“It is unethical and immoral to do so. Members found doingso can also be expelled from the MMA,” its president, DatukDr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan, told the New Straits Times.

He said doctors should only issue MCs only if they werewarranted and issued only after the patients were examined.

“MCs are to be issued only if the patient is physically unfitto perform his or her duties and not for other reasons,” hesaid.

 Dr Noor Hisham also commented on the case of the 64-year-oldIndonesian man who died on board AirAsia X flight D7 171 onFriday.

The man, he said, did not succumb to the Middle EastRespiratory Syndrome (MERS). The post-mortem result re vealed that the deceased had long been suffering from a heartdisease.

“He had a heart attack while on board the flight and this ledto his death.” ,” he said.

The passenger, who was travelling with a group of 17others, including his wife, was on his way to Kuala Lumpurfrom Jeddah and was due to transit at the Kuala LumpurInternational Airport 2 (klia2) for his flight back to Jakarta.

Dr Noor Hisham He also said the passenger had also sought treatment for fever,cough and respiratory problems at a clinic during hispilgrimage in the Holy Land.

“The deceased had also sought medical treatment at aclinic while he was there,” he said adding that the ministryhad applied all precautionary measures following the in cident including obtaining information of those who hadcome in contact with the deceased and disinfecting theflight.

All the 244 passengers and 12 cabin crew he added he alsoscreened.

Meanwhile Benama reported that the man’s body would be flown toSurabaya, Indonesia, today.

AirAsia X Bhd, in a statement said the airline was making the preparationswith his family members and the authorities.

Source:NST