Small victories for contract doctors but proper resolution still needed

Contract doctors at public hospitals who have been struggling to get better treatment and career prospects scored a couple of small victories after the government made some concessions.

Hartal Doktor Kontrak, the official Facebook page of a movement which had been pressuring the government to address the plight of contract doctors, said it had been informed that some junior doctors from the May 2017 intake are finally being offered permanent positions.

Last week, the Health Ministry also began offering junior doctors from the Dec 2016 intake a one-off one-year contract extension so that they can continue to serve amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

These intake batches are facing the most urgency as their five-year training at public hospitals are coming to an end, after which they must move to the private sector or continue their specialist training abroad.

The Hartal Doktor Kontrak movement had planned a strike to highlight the plight of junior doctors but there is no particular public face as they could face disciplinary action.

The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) had also organised the Code Black campaign to show solidarity with the junior doctors but stopped short of backing a strike.

The Hartal Doktor Kontrak Facebook page said some 300 junior doctors are being offered a permanent position from July 15.

“This opportunity which is offered to 300 medical officers currently employed under contract is evidence that the people’s will is a force to be reckoned with,” it said.

However, the group questioned why the permanent positions were not offered to the Dec 2016 cohort who instead were given a one-year contract extension.

Stakeholders, including the MMA, had said contract extensions was not a proper solution as junior doctors needed a proper paveway to progress in their field of specialty.

The Hartal Doktor Kontrak group also asked if the permanent positions will be extended to other intake cohorts.

It urged the Health Ministry to address the matter and other related issues, including on the posting locations and the system on how the offers are made.

“Again, we would like to state that we are not anarchists of the system, we are simply demanding what we believe is the most just and fair for all,” he said.

The junior doctors who complete their five-year training at public hospitals are worried that they will be out of a job after their tenure as there is no clear career path in the public sector.

Frustrations had grown because the junior doctors have toiled endlessly to battle the Covid-19 pandemic.

The government, which is facing financial constraints, is trying to “right-size” the manpower in the public healthcare system. - Mkini