File photo for illustration purposes
SIBU: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Education Bureau is urging the government to provide fair treatment and a solution for the 79 medical officers (MO) who were offered permanent posts in hospitals in the country.
In an open letter to the Prime Minister yesterday, SUPP Education Bureau chief Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing said these MOs were not offered permanent posts but were only given a six-month contract because they did their housemanship overseas.
He said this was unfair as these medical officers had completed their two-year medical officer contract in Malaysia.
“Permanent posts are offered to MOs who have not completed their MO training on the grounds that they did their housemanship locally.
“MOH must explain other reasons (if any) as to why the 79 MOs are not given permanent posts. The new Ministry of Health’s Medical Development Division (MDD) director Dato Dr Norhizan Ismail should revisit this unfair, illogical and weird policy,” he said, adding this letter has also been sent to all 222 members of parliament (MPs) in the country.
He also said there were at least four MOs from Sarawak who were denied the permanent posts without a reason given to them.
“All four performed well and had also passed part of the postgraduate specialist examinations,” he added.
Ding said it was on these grounds that a group called Malaysian Junior Doctors 2020 (MJD 2020) would be established with himself as its protem chairman and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Dudong branch chairman Wong Ching Yong as its protem secretary.
He also said seven medical advisors and 11 legal advisors have been appointed to be part of MJD 2020.
Ding appealed to all 79 affected doctors to stay united and join MJD 2020 on Facebook once the group has been established.
He said if there was no response from the government on this issue, they would consider writing to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“With the outbreak of Covid-19, working in hospitals is a high-risk job. These doctors risked their young lives to save the lives of others, but unfortunately, they would be abandoned by the government after the expiration of the six-month contract.
“This is cruel. There is no bright professional future for you (doctors) in this country if MOH cannot offer permanent posts or contracts of at least 10 years to you.
“Malaysia Medical Association (MMA) has been recommending the 10-year contract but its recommendation has fallen onto deaf ears,” he pointed out.
He pointed out that doctors who have partially passed their postgraduate specialist examination must be given the priority for the consideration of permanent posts.