No second chance for contract docs who rejected permanent posts

 

Contract doctors walked out from work on July 26 to protest the contract system, which they deemed unfair.

PETALING JAYA: Contract doctors who turned down offers of permanent posts will not be given a second chance, the health ministry said.

In a statement, the ministry said that 300 eligible contract medical officers were offered permanent posts this month under the government’s new appointment scheme, with prospective jobs split between hospitals in Sabah and Sarawak.

“However, out of the total of 300 medical officers offered permanent posts, only 200 agreed to accept the offers. The remaining 100 medical officers did not report for duty because they either rejected the offer (85) or resigned due to other job offers (15).

“In such cases, the medical officers who rejected the offer of permanent posts will not be given the same offer again. This is in order to give an opportunity to other medical officers who are still waiting (for) their turn to be appointed on a permanent basis.”

The ministry said it took the matter seriously given the demands of many contract doctors who called for the government to give all of them permanent roles as part of the #HartalDoktorKontrak movement.

The 100 vacancies would be filled immediately by other eligible medical officers, the ministry said.

The #HartalDoktorKontrak movement involved thousands of contract medical officers walking out from work on July 26 to protest the contract system, which they deemed unfair.

In addition to offers of permanent posts for all contract doctors, they also called for clearer specialisation pathways and for benefits similar to their permanent counterparts. - FMT