Malaysian Health Coalition urges government to address woes of young doctors planning strike

MHC said the junior health professionals’ threat to stage a strike was a sign of their discontent and indicative of the government’s failure to adequately protect their welfare. – AFP photo

KUALA LUMPUR (June 29): Political will is needed from those in government to address the inequalities facing young doctors hired on contract that were forcing them into a possible strike, the Malaysian Health Coalition (MHC) said today.

The MHC called on the government to provide lasting solutions and impartial employment terms to contracted junior doctors and health professionals, saying the issue at hand requires a joint effort by the Health Ministry (MoH), the Public Service Department, and even the prime minister and the Cabinet to reach a solution.

MHC said the junior health professionals’ threat to stage a strike was a sign of their discontent and indicative of the government’s failure to adequately protect their welfare.

It called for an overhaul of the public service’s contractual employment system.

“Five years of the contract system have led to discontentment, departures from the civil service and Malaysia, and an exhausted health workforce. Additionally, if MoH is indeed the only ministry with contract posts for professional-grade civil servants, this is an unfair anomaly.

“The contract system must be drastically improved with durable and fair solutions, to recognise all doctors and health professionals for their service. Without the political will to resolve this issue, the long-term health of the Rakyat will suffer,” MHC said in a statement.

The coalition then called on the government to also ensure that conditions being placed for those looking to be absorbed as permanent doctors must not discriminate and be based on meritocracy while remaining transparent with their selection criteria.

They also called for more convincing leadership from the government and more compassionate treatment towards the contracted professionals, asserting the current system has doctors being treated as “expendable assets”.

“The government must show compassionate and thoughtful leadership, instead of issuing high-handed press statements that are insensitive.

“Junior health professionals have served Malaysia during this pandemic, and we owe them a debt of gratitude that must be repaid through better terms of service.

“They should be allowed to make their voices and concerns heard, and meaningful channels for regular engagement should exist without threats of repercussions,” said the MHC.

This as the #HartalDoktorKontrak movement initiated to vent out the dissatisfactions among junior doctors and health professionals have started gaining traction with aligned doctors threatening to go on strike at the end of next month.

The strike being planned by these junior professionals is to oppose what they claim as unfair employment terms for those hired on contracts with little to no prospects for them to advance their speciality if not absorbed into the public service. – Malay Mail

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