This article is written by Mr.T.Paramasivam, an Experimental Officer in the Department of Microbiology, IMR, Kuala Lumpur.
The medical laboratory services in this country came into being with the establishment of the Institute for Medical Research, at Kuala Lumpur in the year 1900. At that time, there was only one Laboratory Assistant (now known as Medical Laboratory Technologist) working under the first IMR Director, Dr.Hamilton Wright.
Before World War II, the Laboratory Assistants were directly recruited and posted to the respective division where they were trained only in that one discipline of that particular division.The number of such personnel then grew to about thirty. During those formative years, the Laboratory Assistants worked hard to gain and accumulate experience under the specialist Officers in the Institute and later many made notable contributions to both medical research and laboratory technology.
In the years immediately after World War II, the development of laboratory technology brought with it multiplication of procedures and sophisticated techniques. So great was this advancement that the time had long passed that any pathologist could undertake by himself to do all the technical procedures required in the daily routines of his laboratory, It was only then that a corps of Medical Laboratory Assistants with polyvalent training in the various disciplines such as Bacteriology, Biochemistry, Haematology, Parasitology and Histopathology came into being. While this development was taking place, numerous problems such as training, salaries, avenues for promotions, payment for overtime works and etc. had arisen in the medical laboratory service. In order to deal effectively with these problems, the younger members of the Laboratory Assistant Association proposed a resolution to dissolve the Association and to form a Union. Unexpectedly, the resolution was carried at the AGM and the Union was formed in the year 1954. Our first president was Encik Abdul Hamid B.Abdul Rahman, and our first Hon.Secretary Mr. Lim Boo Liat (now, Dr.Lim Boo Liat,AMN). From its inception, the dedicated Union Officials worked in close co-operation with the authorities concerned and successfully settled many outstanding issues for the benefit of its members.
STATUS THEN
During this period, other ministries also become employers of Laboratory Assistants and all Laboratory Assistants were treated alike in respect of salaries and conditions of service, irrespective of their nature of training, duties and responsibilities. There was also great discrepancy in the training; the Medical Laboratory Assistants have to undergo a three year course of medical laboratory procedures in theory and practice at the Institute for Medical Research while certain categories of Laboratory Assistants had little or no training at all. Because of this so-called ‘common user scheme’ the Medical Laboratory services has not been able to attract and retain the best talents available.
Members of the lay public and even some government officials were ignorant of the duties and responsibilities of the Medical Laboratory Assistants. As a matter of fact, the Laboratory Assistants in the medical laboratory service should have been categorised and designated as Medical Laboratory Technologist very much earlier. Furthermore, clinical laboratory work in most hospitals were done by Hospital Assistants. This was indeed a sorry state of affairs. The government flatly rejected our repeated pleas for a change of our designation while our coleagues in some other countries identified themselves as Medical Laboratory Technologist.
SALARY
One of the main problems was the unattractiveness of the salary structure for the Medical Laboratory Assistants. In the United Kingdom, they are the best paid amongst members of the medical auxillary service such as Radiographers, Dieticians, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and others. Whereas in this country the professional value and status is in disfavour of the Medical Laboratory Assistants. As belonging to the common-user scheme, the salaries for Medical Laboratory Assistants were being kept very low and not commensurate with the skill and responsibility of the work involved. (See appendix).
PROMOTION PROSPECTS
Another important factor was the lack of avenues for promotion which automatically relegated the profession to a low career value. Therefore, the essential incentive for best performance and dedication was lacking. As a matter of fact the promotion prospects in the medical laboratory service was bleak compared with other services. It was really disappointing to say that there was no higher posts for deserving Medical Laboratory Assistants.
SCHOLARSHIP
Study awards for deserving Medical Laboratory Assistants in the Ministry of Health was limited. Only very few Medical Laboratory Assistants had the opportunity to go overseas training.
SCHOOL OF MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNOLOGY
The training of Medical Laboratory Assistants in the Institute for Medical Rsearch was initially undertaken mainly to serve the needs of the IMR itself. Later, the needs of the hospital laboratories were catered as well. With the rapid expansion of Medical and Health Services and the hospitals in the country, the demand for trained Medical Laboratory Assistants became increasingly more pressing. According to the recommendation of the World Health Organisation, the ratio of health laboratory personnel to the population in developed countries is 1:2000 and for developing countries, 1:5000. Based on the estimated population of 12 million, about 2,000 polyvalent trained Medical Laboratory Assistants are currently needed! Before 1968, we had roughly 174 trained Medical Laboratory Assistants. Therefore, to overcome the acute shortage of trained Medical Laboratory personnel, and to cope up with the ever increasing workload, the logical conclusion would have been given top priority to the establishment of a School of Medical Laboratory Technology as a positive solution to overcome this pressing problem. During that time, the training of Medical Laboratory Assistants was conducted on a small scale as part of the daily work. The method was one of apprenticeship where the trainee was hitched on to a trained worker and he learned while actual work was being done. Lectures were limited and there was no organised class-room type teaching. Hostel accomodation for the probational Medical Laboratory Assistants were not available inspite of the Union’s request. The post of Tutor was not even created.
NEW RAY OF HOPE
In December 1965, the late Dr.Ungku Omar Ahmad was appointed the Director of the Institute for Medical Research. He gave us hope for a bright future, and worked very closely with the Union officials not only in improving the standard of medical laboratory technology but also in uplifting the service conditions and salaries of the Medical Laboratory Assistants. The late Dr.Ungku Omar organised the first ‘National Seminar and Technical Workshop on the standardisation of Laboratory Proceedings’ held on 19 - 20th October 1967, at the Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur. I was invited as Secretary of the Laboratory Assistants Union to speak at this seminar on ‘The Status of Medical Laboratory Assistants in West Malaysia’. Dr.Ungku Omar Ahmad appointed Dr.G.F.de Witt to head the School of Medical Laboratory Technology. When everything was brightening up in the right direction, Dr.Ungku Omar, the saviour of the Medical Laboratory Assistants left us suddenly on the morning of 15th February 1969. Nevertheless, the directors who succeeded the late Dr.Ungku, namely Datuk Abu Bakar B.Ibrahim, Dr.R.Bhagwan Singh KMN, and Dr.G.F.de Witt KMN carried out and implemented the late Ungku Omar Ahmad’s plan. In this respect, I must take this opportunity to record also the vital and significant role played by Dr.G.F.de Witt in achieving the ambition and aspirations of the Medical Laboratory Technologists. The Union is very grateful especially to the late Dr. Ungku Omar Ahmad and to Dr.G.F.de Witt, the present Director of the Institute for Medical Research.
TODAY
Except for a realistic salary structure, we can proudly say that the Medical Laboratory Technologists enjoy a much better status today. The avenues for promotion prospects are much brighter today. The Medical Laboratory Technologists have the opportunities to be promoted to Special Grade and Superscale posts. They can also apply to become Experimental Officers and Laboratory Tutors. For the training of Medical Laboratory Technologists we now have the School of Medical Laboratory Technology in the Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, producing a number of 120 trained Technologists yearly. We are proud to note that the training programme consists of well structured courses of studies which give the trainees a sound basics of theoretical and practical training. A hostel had been built to accomodate about 240 trainees at a time. We have at present roughly 650 trained Medical Laboratory Technologists in the government service. The number of study awards have also been increased and many deserving Medical Laboratory Technologists have gone overseas for advanced courses or specialisation in their own fields. They have now their own professional body known as The Institute of Medical and Health Technology, which is affiliated to the International body. Many of the Medical Laboratory Technologists, with the experience and knowledge acquired, have contributed scientific articles to journals at home and abroad. All these achievements were possible because of hard work put in by the Union officials and the kind co-operation and understanding and support given by the directors of IMR, in particular the late Dr.Ungku Omar Ahmad and Dr.G.F.de Witt KMN and the Ministry of Health Officials.
Note : This article was by Mr.T.Paramasivam and published on June 1979
APPENDIX
Salary scales (in every case is given the
number of years to reach maximum):
1. As fixed immediately following Benham
Report:
Probationers
|
$137.50 X 7.50
|
-
|
152.60 / Examination
|
Timescale
|
$209.00 X 14
|
-
|
307.00 / Second
Departmental Exam.
|
$324.00 X 14
|
-
|
450.00 / Vacancy (21
years to reach maximum)
|
|
Special Grade
|
$468.00 X 20
|
-
|
588.00
|
Superscale II
|
$604.00 X 24
|
-
|
700.00
|
2. Revisions Since : 1st May
1956
Probationers
(Division III)
|
$100.00 X 7.50
|
-
|
155.00 (if provided
with hostel accommodation) / Examination
|
Timescale
|
$238.00 X 14
|
-
|
308.00 / Second Examination.
|
$338.00 X 14
|
-
|
450.00 / Efficiency
Bar
|
|
$468.00 X 20
|
-
|
528.00 / Vacancy (22
years to reach maximum)
|
|
Special Grade
|
$554.00 X 20
|
-
|
594.00 / Vacancy
|
Superscale
( Division II)
|
$604.00 X 24
|
-
|
700.00
|
3. Revision Since : 1st January 1965
Probationers
(Division III)
|
$100.00 X 8
|
-
|
116.00 (if provided
with hostel accommodation) / Examination
|
$140.00 X 8
|
-
|
156.00 (if not
provided with hostel accommodation ) / Examination
|
|
Timescale
|
$280.00 X 14
|
-
|
364.00 / Second
Examination.
|
$394.00 X 14
|
-
|
450.00 / Efficiency
Bar
|
|
$468.00 X 20
|
-
|
548.00 / Vacancy (20 years
to reach maximum)
|
|
Special Grade
(Division II)
|
$564.00 X 20
|
-
|
624.00 / Vacancy
|
Superscale
|
$564.00 X 24
|
-
|
700.00
|
4. SUFFIAN SALARY SCALES : 1st
January 1971
NO DIVISIONS
Probationers
|
$220.00 X 15
|
-
|
250.00 / 3 years
|
Timescale
|
$275.00 X 25
|
-
|
750.00 (19 years to
reach maximum)
|
Special Grade
|
$769.00 X 40
|
-
|
880.00
|
Superscale B
|
$880.00 X 40
|
-
|
1,000.00
|
5. Cabinet Committee Scales : 1st January 1976
Timescale
|
$435.00 X 30
|
-
|
495.00 / 525.00 X
30 - 705/765 X 40 – 925
(15 years to reach
maximum)
|
Special Grade
|
$685.00 X 40
|
-
|
1,165.00
|
Superscale B
|
$1,165.00 X 40
|
-
|
1,285.00 X 60 –
1405.00
|
Superscale A
|
$1,405.00 X 60
|
-
|
1,585.00
|
-
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