KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Services Department (PSD), Health Ministry (MoH), and the Finance Ministry (MoF) once and for all need to resolve the predicaments faced by medical officers (MOs) in government hospitals.
Malaysian Medical Association president Dr N Ganabaskaran in a statement said the predicament faced by the MOs in the public healthcare sector was one involving a lack of positions nationwide.
“As of June 2019, the positions are oversubscribed by for medical officers and specialists. This is despite the obvious shortage of doctors to maintain and improve on the healthcare service to the people as the demands on the Malaysian public healthcare system.
“Thus, despite turning down a possible career overseas, these doctors who return to serve are unable to be offered an extension to neither their contracts nor a permanent position as there is none available at the moment.”
Dr Ganabaskaran also said the current generation of contract MOs faces challenging times, including the issue involving UD43 contract medical officer positions.
Despite being approved by cabinet and receiving the support from Finance Ministry on the matter, there has been little news on this matter, he said.
“We do hope that the relevant Divisions within the Ministry of Health would act fast to ensure that this travesty of justice be corrected soonest and the contract upgraded accordingly.
“This matter is probably the simplest to resolve with support from all quarters and I truly hope that a formal announcement can be made soon.”
Dr Ganabaskaran hoped that the steps required to address the issue, which is already in the process and that the proposal to be submitted by MoH, would be speedily approved by the PSD and the MoF.
He said the other issue involving medical officers was one involving their career progression, specifically when it came to being offered permanent positions.
“The first batch of contract MOs had just completed their first year of service and with less than 11 months to go to completion of their second and final year, we had seen that only about 15 per cent of the total number of MOs for that one year cohort being offered permanent positions.
“The selection process was less than transparent, with many left still wondering on their fate. Despite many meeting all the criteria and being exemplary doctors, many will be unemployed and dreams of specialisation dashed as they are just not enough available vacancies to be filled,” he said.
Dr Ganabaskaran said to resolve this, among the proposals put forward by MMA includes on the need to increase between 1,500-2,000 new medical officer positions annually to match the population growth and the demands on the healthcare system.
The other short term interim measure was to offer an extended five-year contract after the completion of compulsory service for medical officers to complete their specialisation. This is to be offered to those who had passed and are keen on pursuing a specialist course, be it the masters or parallel pathway.
He said the extended contract will end at five years as it should be sufficient time for a doctor to complete their specialist training and from there be absorbed as a specialist with a specialist bond to the government of five years, to ensure that they are adequately trained with sufficient experience to become independent consultants.
The absorption into government service should ideally be that of a permanent position within the service, he added.
“MMA and SCHOMOS (the public sector chapter of MMA) urge the relevant parties PSD, MoH and MoF to sit together and sort out this problem once and for all.
“They should act now to engage in discussions and to listen to proposals for a solution that will ensure that these doctors are given a fair chance to specialise and to progress in their careers to allow the country as a whole to move towards universal healthcare.”
Meanwhile, Dr Ganabaskaran welcomed the Health Ministry’s move to investigate the termination of several MOs in Sibu.
“These doctors had completed their studies and housemanship training overseas and as such returned to Malaysia to serve under a two-year UD41 medical officer contract. During the two years of service, they were not offered a permanent position despite being exemplary medical officers, and having started training for a specialist course.
“The hospital that they are serving in is also in need of medical officers to maintain their service to the people of Sibu, Sarawak.
“MMA is pleased to hear that the Minister of Health will be immediately investigating this matter.”