Assistant medical officer

Assistant medical officers are health care providers in countries like Tanzania and Malaysia. They work independently or with limited supervision of a physician to provide healthcare services to largely underserved populations.[1]

They are also called "surgical technologists" (or técnico de cirurgia) in Mozambique,[2] clinical associates in South Africa,[3] or "assistant medical practitioner" (AMP, formerly "native medical practitioner" or NMP) in Fiji.[4] They are grouped under "medical assistant practitioners" in the International Standard Classification of Occupations, 2008 revision.[5] Assistant Medical Officer will be celebrated for the day of medical assistant on 10 March every year in all countries.

Training and practice

Tanzania

Qualified clinical officers with working experience of more than three years and who pass a government entrance examination undergo a further two-year training program to become Assistant Medical Officers. They can then enroll in another two-year program to specialise in anaesthesia, paediatrics, radiology or surgery.

The Assistant Medical Officers program, which combines theory and clinical training, is offered at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre[6] and Ifakara Training Centre for International Health.[7] Assistant medical officers training centers in Mbeya (located near Mbeya referral Hospital), Tanga (located near Bombo Regional referral Hospital) and Bugando-Mwanza(located near Bugando referral Hospital), Lugalo Military school in Dar es Salaam, and a new school opened in Arusha -Selian medical center.

Assistant Medical Officers perform routine and emergency surgery including 80 percent of Caesarean sections done in Tanzania.[2]

Malaysia

Assistant Medical Officers complete a three and half year Diploma in Medical Assistant (DMA) undergraduate program recognized by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency. The DMA students study the human body; how the systems, e.g. cardiovascular and respiratory systems, medical and surgical study, pharmacology, work in normal and diseased states and how they relate to medicine. They also learn pre-hospital care, community health, disaster management, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology and surgery. The final year of training involves clinical placement in hospitals and health clinics.

Government colleges that offer the Diploma in Medical Assistant program are:

  • College of Medical Assistant, Seremban
  • College of Medical Assistant, Alor Setar
  • Allied Health Science College Ulu Kinta, Ipoh
  • Allied Health Science College, Kuching
  • Allied Health Science College, Kota Kinabalu

These are under the health ministry's training department.[8] Private colleges include:

  • Kolej Islam Sains & Teknologi[9]
  • Management and Science University[10]
  • Kolej Universiti ShahPutra[11]
  • I-System College[12]

DMA graduates register with the Medical Assistant Council (Lembaga Pembantu Perubatan)[13] before being appointed into service.

Assistant Medical Officers diagnose and treat common ailments, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, manage medical/surgical emergencies, manage medical/surgical ward, manage obstetrics & gynecology and write prescriptions.

They often work in places with no medical officers.

Bangladesh

DMF degree holders are appointed as a Sub Assistant Community Medical Officer (SACMO) at health and family planning sectors in Bangladesh. They were formerly known as Medical Assistant. The Medical Assistant profession was started in 1979 to staff the rural health centers, as well as the Union and Family Welfare Centers. These providers were seen as the primary care providers in the communities alongside other health workers.

medical assistants (now to be designated as sub-assistant community medical officer) are produced by Medical Assistants Training Schools (MATS) through a three-year academic course comprising theoretical and practical classes. There is also a compulsory internship of 12 month after successful completion of academic course. After completion of this course DMF degree holders are registered by the Bangladesh Mdical and Dental council of Bangladesh (BMDC)

Currently, there are 8 MATS in the government sector and 200 MATS in the private sector (total 208). Total annual productions capacity is 13,540, of whom 716 are produced by the government and 12,824 by the private training schools.

List of government MATS in Bangladesh

Medical Assistant Training School, Comilla. Medical Assistant Training School, Noakhali. Medical Assistant Training School, Faridpur. Medical Assistant Training School, Tangail. Medical Assistant Training School, Bagerhat. Medical Assistant Training School, Kushtia. Medical Assistant Training School, Jhenaidah. Medical Assistant Training School, Sirajganj.[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mullan F, Frehywot S. "Non-physician clinicians in 47 sub-Saharan African countries." Lancet, 2007; 370:2158–63.
  2. 1 2 Kruk ME et al. "Human resource and funding constraints for essential surgery in district hospitals in Africa: a retrospective cross-sectional survey." PLoS Medicine, 2010; 7(3): e1000242. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000242
  3. ↑ SouthAfrica.info. Mid-level health professionals for South Africa http://www.southafrica.info/about/health/clinical-associates.htm, accessed 15 March 2011
  4. ↑ Fiji School of Medicine
  5. ↑ World Health Organization. Classifying health workers. Geneva, WHO, 2010.
  6. ↑ Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre Archived 2008-05-28 at the Wayback Machine., Tanzania.
  7. ↑ Ifakara Training Centre for International Health, Tanzania.
  8. ↑ Malaysia Health Ministry Training Department
  9. ↑ Kolej Islam Sains & Teknologi
  10. ↑ Management and Science University
  11. ↑ Kolej Universiti ShahPutra
  12. ↑ I-System College
  13. ↑ Malaysia Health Ministry Medical Assistant Council
  14. ↑ Health Bulletin 2017, Derectorate General of Health Services of Bangladesh
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