Contract medical officers' strike 'inevitable' unless demands met - source

 

A group of contract medical officers will proceed with a planned strike at the end of July unless the government resolves long-standing issues surrounding their permanent placements.

A contract medical officer who spoke to Malaysiakini on condition of anonymity said the plan to strike was sparked following Health Minister Dr Adham Baba’s statement on June 23 that defended recruitments done via contract since December 2016.

“Despite being the core frontliners, this is what we get. Out of anger, we wanted to put on a strike.

“It will be done in July, end of July,” said the doctor based at a hospital in a Southern state.

Adham’s statement was made in response to an open letter to all MPs from the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and its Section Concerning House Officers, Medical Officers, and Specialists (Schomos) which highlighted the lack of job security and opportunities for career progression faced by junior contract doctors.

Reassuring that patient care will not be jeopardised, the doctor said organisers will be releasing another open letter to explain their position, followed by a memorandum to the government.

“If our demands in the memorandum are not met, a strike is inevitable.

“But we will ensure that patient care is not jeopardised,” he said.

Summarising their demands, the doctor said contract medical officers were left out of certain perks; a pay difference of RM700 a month; and no opportunities to further their studies unless self-sponsored.

The doctor said there were 23,077 contract medical officers recruited since 2016, of which only 789 have been absorbed as permanent staff.

From the figure, he said some 45 percent are already in support of their memorandum and the number is set to grow before the document is revealed sometime next week.

Adham in his June 23 statement said the recruits were offered a three-year contract to allow medical graduates to undergo their training and another two-year extension as housemen.

Adham also said health services are not under the exclusive purview of the Health Ministry and there were available opportunities in hospitals administered by the Higher Education Ministry, Defence Ministry, or the private sector.

Schomos yesterday said Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz has, following a meeting with them, agreed to expedite solutions for the plight of contract medical officers.

Asked for comments, the doctor said they heard similar promises in the past but no real change came forth.

“First of all, MMA is not with us on this strike. We believe this (meeting) is a good effort (by Schomo) but still, we won’t stop until something tangible is in the works.

“We were fed with words and vows before this but they led nowhere. So words are just words,” he said.

The MMA previously said Malaysia’s healthcare system has been ailing for several years and is on the verge of collapse.

It said there has been a severe lack of human resources in the public healthcare system for years, as shown by the high levels of burnout syndrome among healthcare workers, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. - Mkini