Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has announced that the government will be creating far more permanent positions for junior doctors, dentists and pharmacists over the next four years.
This follows persistent demands for more job security for trainees who are employed on contract.
In 2022 alone, he said Putrajaya will be offering 4,186 permanent posts - 3,586 medical officers, 300 dental officers and 300 pharmacy officers.
Openings for these positions will be available from June this year.
“The cabinet has also agreed that at least 1,500 permanent posts for medical officers, dental officers and pharmaceutical officers will be created at the ministry every year from 2023 to 2025,” Khairy said at a press conference after holding a town hall with the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) on the issue this afternoon.
Khairy said this amounted to “at least” 8,686 permanent posts created from 2022 to 2025.
In comparison, the government hired a mere 3,425 permanent medical, dental and pharmacy officers in the past six years (2016-2021) since the contract system was introduced.
Permanent posts for specialists
There will be an allowance for an additional 800 permanent medical officers and 70 permanent dental officers every year until 2025.
“This is to fill up vacancies created when medical officers are appointed to become specialists,” he said.
Khairy promised that permanent and contract house officers stand an “equal chance” to qualify for permanent posts.
Qualification criteria included the need to complete house officership training, register with the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), be certified as fit for service and have no record of disciplinary cases.
A series of selections and interviews will then ensue.
“We are still waiting on the Civil Service Commission (SPA) for an answer. We hope the SPA will be able to conduct (the interviews) as it is an independent body,” Khairy added.
Meanwhile, from 2023 onwards, the government will further create 800 permanent positions for medical specialists along with 70 permanent positions for dental specialists.
Long term roadmap
The minister hoped these new permanent positions will help alleviate longstanding frustrations with the contract doctor system.
“Although this does not fully fulfil requests for the government to absorb all (contract doctors), we now have a new deal.
“We can’t give everyone permanent positions, but we can offer a portion of the permanent posts to fulfil the public health needs of the country.
“There are a few more issues that we have not solved like leave claims and equal allowances. I am working on these issues,” he vowed.
Last month, the Health Ministry solved another perennial issue when it changed the rules to allow contract doctors to qualify for further study programmes and scholarships.
Having delivered on my commitment to contract doctors for them to be able to apply for HLP, I will be announcing another significant development for them later today. Mungkin tidak 100% apa yang dituntut tetapi asas yang baik untuk laluan kerjaya yang lebih jelas. pic.twitter.com/acw7Tzhovr
— Khairy Jamaluddin 🇲🇾🌺 (@Khairykj) February 10, 2022
Khairy also announced today that Putrajaya has agreed on a “roadmap” with the aim of solving the contract doctor system once and for all.
This included establishing technical committees to “optimise” traineeship positions and the quality of medical graduates; introducing an examination to assess graduates; scrutinising the Second Schedule of the Medical Act 1971 and improving the national specialist study programme. - Mkini
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