KUALA LUMPUR: Contract doctors should be part of the government's newly formed high level committee (HLC) to have their voices heard in a bid to resolve various issues.
A Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) spokesman said if contract doctors were left out, the HLC decisions may not fulfil their needs and wants and this could lead to further disagreements.
He said that aside from the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali, the other HLC members should be Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and Public Service Department officials.
The spokesman added that news of the HLC was met with doubt by contract doctors as similar efforts in the past failed to lead to a solution.
He added that they were kept in the dark by the government over their fate after completing the scheme, with no word if they would be made permanent staff, nor any long term plans.
"They are still wary of committees formed to help them but they are keeping their spirits high with this one. They want the HLC to have the authority to enforce what it proposes and accommodate what junior doctors want such as promotions, perks and career progression.
"They need to include junior doctors and HDK representatives, if possible. They cannot be making decisions for junior doctors but not have them as part of the HLC as some things may not gel well with them.
"The HLC must identify the problems they face and find solutions. Most importantly, a timeline should be drawn in the issue of absorbing contract doctors into permanent positions via the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) scheme,"he added.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa on Saturday had said the cabinet had on Friday agreed to set up the HLC, made up of representatives from several ministries and agencies including Zuki, to deal with the issue of contract doctors.
She had said the ministry was aware that the issue had been long standing and had inherited it from the previous government since the contract doctors scheme was introduced in 2016 following the oversupply of doctors then.
The ministry, she had added, had resolved several issues over the period, such as creating permanent positions, sponsoring specialists training, time based promotions, special grade promotions and creating the UD56 grade for medical specialists.
Separately, the spokesman said HDK was not part of a planned three-day strike from tomorrow called Mogok Doktor Kontrak, adding that it was unaware of the identity of the organiser.
However, he said the group had the right to go on strike to have their demands heard, although it was not a common practice in Malaysia.
"If planned well, a strike can be conducted without harming patients' health. It boils down to whether the higher officials will allow it or will they help with it.
"In the United Kingdom, senior doctors will help to cover their colleagues who go on strike and there would be a contingency plan.
"However, in Malaysia, strikes are frowned upon and the authorities do not like to deal with it. So they will fear monger and repeatedly say patients will be harmed, yet not come up with a solution to the problem.
"If organised properly, it would not be damaging to the health system. The ministry should also come up with back-up plans," he said.
On social media, Mogok Doktor Kontrak had urged contract doctors to take either emergency or medical leave for three days.
It claimed that over 8,000 contract doctors were going on strike to protest against the unfair system and low wages.
It asked Malaysians not to go to any general hospitals or health clinics and that they would have to wait longer to get treated.