vent Date: Saturday, 13th April – Sunday, 14th April 2019
Monday, 15thApril 2019– Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) had the privilege to invite two honourable speakers from the Academy of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Malaysia (AOEMM) to conduct a two-day Medical Review Officer (MRO) Course and Certification training program that was held at Continuing Medical Education (CME) Room, Level 1, JPMC, from Saturday, 13thApril to Sunday, 14thApril 2019.
Professor Dr. Abu Hasan Samad, President of AOEMM and also the Chief Trainer & Examiner and Dr. Mohd Hatta Hj. Usul, Honorary Secretary conducted the course which was participated by around 25 medical practitioners. Certification with the MRO course is critical to allow medical practitioners to correctly interpret results of urine drug screening, a common test done in Brunei for example for employment (especially in the Oil and Gas sector), health care institutions and for scholarship sponsorships.
Delegates during the Medical Review Officer Course
The areas covered in the program include topics such as, Drug-Free Workplace Program, Laboratory Analysis & Results, Workplace Alcohol Testing, Drug Pharmacology, Metabolism and Interpretation, MRO Verification Process and Result Interpretation, Record Keeping and Reporting which would allow medical practitioners to take a further step into understanding the effects of the drugs and its implications in work places. Case studies were also discussed to enhance understanding on drugs information, giving the participants a fresher view on the facts and experience shared by other medical practitioners.
The training program ends with an examination with successful participants receiving their MRO certification.
Dr Meera Kabeer, Medical Director of JPMC, Opening Remarks
From left: Professor Dr Abu Hasan Samad, Dr Meera Kabeer (Medical Director of JPMC), Dr Hiza Wardy (Deputy Medical Director of JPMC)
During the opening ceremony, Dr. Meera Kabeer said, “I would like to welcome our esteemed colleagues from Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia, who are here to attend the first Medical Review Officer course organised in Brunei Darussalam and especially to our Course Trainers from the Academy of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Malaysia; Professor Dr Abu Hasan Samad, who is also the President of the Academy of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Dr Mohamad Hatta Hj Usul.”
Dr. Meera Kabeer stated “Nowadays, drug screening tests are increasingly required in various settings – for example during pre-employment or periodic medical examinations in the oil & gas industry, pre-employment checks with the government, private and even for scholarship medical checks.It is also part of, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr. Hj Md Isham bin Hj Jaafar, the Ministry of Health of Brunei Darussalam and in his capacity as the Chairman & Executive Director of JPMC vision, to promote healthcare related academic activities in Brunei and we thank him for readily agreeing to sponsor this workshop in JPMC.”
Dr. Meera Kabeer added, “Knowledge on such tests and issues surrounding them is essential for those medical professionals called upon to interpret results from drug testing and it is critical that we as medical professionals have the responsibility to have the required skills and knowledge to avoid unfair and potentially damaging consequences of wrong conclusions.”
Professor Dr Abu Hasan Samad, teaching & sharing knowledge
“It is the responsibility of individual medical practitioners to ensure they have the knowledge and are properly certified to interpret results of urine drug screening so that the actions following them are fair and justifiable. I hope this course contributes to this.” Dr. Hiza Wardy said.
For conducting the course, Dr. Meera Kabeer, Medical Director of Jerudong Park Medical Centre and Dr. Hiza Wardy, Deputy Medical Director of JPMC has presented crystal plaques to both Professor Dr. Abu Hasan Samad and Dr. Mohd Hatta Hj. Usul as a token of appreciation for their efforts.
Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) Management & Staff, was very happy to organise and to co-host this course together with assistance from the colleagues at the Brunei Shell Petroleum Panaga Health Centre to enable JPMCs medical professionals be up to date and be properly qualified Medical Review Officers.
In the future, JPMC hopes to hold other similar training courses in order to continue to update and maintain the skills of medical practitioners relevant to our current needs and requirements.
