The government’s decision to create 4,186 full-time positions involving medical officers, dentists and pharmacists this year has been hailed by MMA as a ‘breath of relief to the contract doctors’. – Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR: The announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob regarding opening full-time positions for contract doctors recently is a breath of relief for those contract doctors who have been awaiting this good news.
The decision has proven the Prime Minister’s effort in solving the issue surrounding contract doctors since five years ago, hence proving his concern regarding this particular issue.
Opening up full-time positions for contract medical officers will be able to increase the healthcare status of Keluarga Malaysia, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. — Photo via Keluarga Malaysia/Facebook
Ismail Sabri said that the decision will be able to strengthen the healthcare sector in hospitals, thus increase the health level of Keluarga Malaysia as a whole.
“This is a positive news for our frontliners where the government has announced 11,000 full-time positions at the Ministry of Health from 2022 to 2025.
“About 1,500 positions comprising medical officers, dentists and pharmacists will be created every year.
“Besides that, there will also be additions in other departments such as medical specialist and dentistry,” he said in a recent post on the Keluaga Malaysia Facebook page.
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has applauded the government’s decision of creating 4,186 full-time positions involving medical officers, dentists and pharmacists this year, hailing it as ‘a breath of relief to the contract doctors’.
Dr Koh Kah Chai
MMA president Dr Koh Kar Chai said the decision had been long awaited, with the early step involving the opening of 3,586 full-time positions to medical officers this year, followed by the offering of position in scales every year.
“(The setting-up of) 800 full-time positions for specialists and 70 for dental specialists every year is very much welcome.
“However, these positions may be inadequate and there may still be a long wait for a number of these doctors to be given permanent posts,” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post on Sunday.
MMA had also expressed hope for more positions to be opened every year so that the position-status issue could be resolved as soon as possible.
In this regard, Dr Koh said the challenge for the government, specifically the Health Ministry (MoH), would be to come up with a long-term solution that could match the manpower with the healthcare needs of the nation.
“We now have large numbers of new medical graduates and they are very much needed for the improvement of healthcare services in this country.”
Thus, Dr Koh said the opportunities for specialisation must be increased to fill the void of specialists in Malaysia.
“The healthcare needs of the people are increasing; therefore, improvements to our doctor-to-patient ratio and increased specialist care are necessary.
“We need to continue to engage in the planning of the human resources and the infrastructure of the nation’s healthcare going forward.”
On the hope of having any permanent position be under the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) scheme as opposed to the pension scheme, Dr Koh said it would ultimately come down to what each individual doctor would want.
“Positions under the pension scheme should benefit those who have decided to stay on in the government service until retirement.”
Dr N.G Baskaran
Meanwhile, former MMA president Dr NG Baskaran received the MoH’s announcement regarding the full-time position programme, going on until 2025, with open arms.
“This announcement is a decision that has been long awaited by contract doctors nationwide.
“Even though this is just the beginning, it is an improvement that I hope the government could continue doing as now we have more than 23,000 medical officers waiting for full-time positions,” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post.
Dr Baskaran also thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and the staff of MoH involved in making this effort a success.
“This effort will open a new chapter for medical officers, especially the young doctors, and at the same time, it will give a positive impact to the healthcare sector.
“It also shows the government is concerned towards the fate of medical officers who have sacrificed their time and energy at this time. At this juncture, they are the most important assets to the country.
“Besides that, hiring will also provide advantages and upper hand for them to continue their studies to the higher level.
“However, we cannot forget other medical officers as the issue of contract doctors is not new, but has been fought since 2016; there is still a lot that needs to be improved,” he said.
The opening up of full-time positions for medical officers is a breath of relief for those medical officers who have surely been waiting for the good news. — Photo via Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob/Facebook
On Feb 10, Khairy in a statement said the Cabinet had agreed that 4,186 full-time employment would be added at MoH for this year.
The total employment would involve 3,586 medical officers, 300 dentists and 300 pharmacists.
from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3uOkOAu
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