Country facing health crisis, reconsider strike, Tok Mat tells doctors

 

Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan says contract doctors have a right to protest but not during these difficult times.

PETALING JAYA: Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan has urged contract doctors to reconsider their strike today as the country is facing a health crisis.

“To all contract doctors in Malaysia, your hartal is your right to speak out and protest. However, our country is facing a health crisis, I urge all of you to think through it thoroughly.

“We respect and recognise your contributions to the country,” he said in a statement.

Mohamad, or more fondly known as Tok Mat, agreed that although the improved terms for contract doctors announced by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin were a step in the right direction, they still did not meet the demands of the doctors.

“Their demands are clear … to be absorbed into permanent positions without a pension, but with EPF contributions and a more secure career path.

Mohamad Hasan.

“The 18-month pandemic has put a spotlight on the weaknesses of our healthcare system. Malaysia is in a dire need of a drastic healthcare system upgrade,” he said.

Mohamad said the contract doctors should be granted permanent positions considering their contributions, dedication and sacrifices, especially during this pandemic.

He also said new guidelines with clearer requirements for entering government service should be released for subsequent intakes to avoid a potential influx of medical officers in the future.

“Not all doctors in our national healthcare system will remain with the public service. There will be practitioners who will choose a different career path.

“Yet, it is their experience in public service that will give them the thrust they need for their future, not the reward,” he said.

Mohamad also said the government desperately needs to increase its investments in the healthcare sector by committing 7% to 10% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) to the sector.

He said a healthier doctor-to-patient ratio must be prioritised by increasing the number of specialist doctors for every 10,000 patients from 3.4 in 2018 to 15 in line with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) benchmark.

He said efforts to put on research, preventive healthcare, digitalisation, as well as other support systems must also be multiplied.

The strike, better known as Hartal Doktor Kontrak, is to demand a fair career path and for contract doctors to be offered the same benefits as medical officers in permanent positions, among others. - FMT