I REFER to the 2017 Budget presented on Oct 21, which said: “To appoint the first group of doctors, dentists and pharmacists on contract latest by December 2016 due to constraint in permanent posts.
“Nearly 2,600 doctors without housemanship will now serve on contract.”
Many medical grads heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this, most of whom were unemployed and had been waiting for a posting for over a year.
However, there are concerns about how this would be implemented.
The contract employment of medical graduates for housemanship was not implemented in the past.
Therefore, questions have been asked whether the contract will offer an inferior salary scheme, training and career growth as compared with the permanent position.
Besides, what comes after the end of the contract tenure was not laid out, leaving their future hanging.
For many, the creation of this contract scheme is a short-term resolution.
The statement has exclusive emphasis on doctors, making pharmacy and dental graduates wonder if the intake of doctors will be prioritised over them.
The Public Services Commission says there are 4,000 applicants for the U41 pharmacy position but only 800 have been called for interviews. Most have been unemployed for more than a year.
Therefore, pharmacists and dental graduates should be treated on a par with doctors.
In the final tuning of this contract, there is a need to commit to resolutions that will protect the medical profession and ensure future graduates are not unemployed.
CHEAH THEAN KHENG,
Kangar, Perlis