2,083 more contract doctors to be made permanent in December

 

Dr Zaliha Mustafa presenting the advanced diploma in midwifery to wheelchair-bound Ayu Mastura Armisan at the ILKKM convocation ceremony in Ipoh today. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A fresh batch of 2,083 contract medical officers will be absorbed into the permanent service at the end of December.

Health minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said some of the contract doctors had earlier been absorbed at the end of July.

She spoke at the convocation ceremony for graduates from the various health ministry training institutes (ILKKM) in Ipoh today.

Earlier this year, the government announced that 12,800 contract doctors would be absorbed into permanent positions within the next three years.

Past reports said there were an estimated 26,300 contract medical officers, with a further 5,000 expected to enter service each year after completing two to three-year stints as housemen.

Speaking at the convocation, Zaliha said 14,619 trainees from ILKKM had been absorbed into the service since 2018 until June this year.

ILKKM has been responsible for training most of the health workers in the country, Bernama reported her as saying.

“There are 19 training institutions under the ministry throughout Malaysia. They offer 64 paramedic and auxiliary health programmes.”

There are 13 pre-service programmes, one diploma programme in nursing (transitional) and 50 programmes at the advanced diploma level.

“Of these, 38 training programmes in specialised areas offered at ILKKM are not available at other study centres in Malaysia.”

Zaliha said this year alone, the ministry, through the Public Services Commission, had received 1.4 million applications for training programmes under ILKKM.

This showed that ILKKM is comparable to other institutions providing such programmes.

Zaliha said the ministry is currently trying to improve training for advanced programmes in critical areas of expertise.

Among the 10 specialised areas that are in great demand are midwifery, public health, neonatal care, paediatric care, intensive care, cardiovascular care, orthopaedic care, mental care, perioperative care, gerontology and primary health, she said. - FMT