The Malaysian Allied Health Professions Council’s (MAHPC) decision to amend the Second Schedule of the Allied Health Professions Act 2016 (Act 774) was in line with the development of allied health services in Malaysia, public service policy, technological changes and current trends at the international level.
Health director-general who is also MAHPC chairman Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said among the amendments was to group Clinical Scientists — Biochemist, Biomedical Scientist, Embryologist, Medical Geneticist, Microbiologist — and Forensic Science Officer under one profession of Medical Laboratory Scientist.
 |
| Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (The Edge filepix by Sam Fong) |
In addition, he said, the Allied Health Professions (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2022 had been gazetted and came into force on March 24, which listed 16 allied health professions to be regulated under Act 774, including audiologist and dietitian.
Other professions listed in the schedule are entomologist (public health), physiotherapist, medical physicist, nutritionist, clinical psychologist, diagnostic radiographer, medical laboratory scientist, occupational therapist, speech-language therapist, radiation therapist, medical laboratory technologist, dental technologist, environmental health officer and health education officer.
“The Second Schedule (2022) will replace the Second Schedule (2016) which listed 23 categories of allied health professions,” he said in a statement on Monday (May 30).
MAHSA University is proud to have contributed in the development of this revised Second schedule through our Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Assoc. Prof. Dr. Veronica Chua who was invited by the Allied Health Division of the Ministry of Health Malaysia as a panelist in developing the criteria for professions to be included in the second schedule of Act 774.
Dr Noor Hisham further added that the council, through the 5th MAHPC Meeting (No. 1/2022), has agreed to set several matters related to the registration policy of allied health practitioners.
These include the commencement date for registration of allied health practitioners; the transition period of registration; standards of academic qualifications; approval of registration applications; as well as the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
 |
| Assoc. Prof. Dr. Veronica Chua, Dean Faculty of Health Sciences MAHSA Un iversity |
(original article by Bernama published the with the heading “Amendments to the Second Schedule of Act 774 in line with Health services in Malaysia”, in Edgemarkets on May 30th 2022)