Compensate doctors given last-minute postings, MMA tells govt

 

Doctors had recently complained about receiving last-minute placement notices from the health ministry, leaving them in a bind. (Reuters pic)

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has urged the government to take responsibility and compensate medical officers (MOs) given their placements at the last-minute.

MMA president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai said relocating to another state required advance notice for the junior doctors to manage various financial commitments, such as paying rent and bills, making travel arrangements, finding accommodation, and packing.

He said it was unreasonable to expect MOs to report for duty in another state at such short notice, adding that some may even need to make arrangements to care for their loved ones.

“If they are parents, they may need to take their children with them and find a daycare or enroll them in new schools,” he said in a statement.

Muruga hoped that the public services department (JPA) and health ministry would look into the issue and hold the relevant department responsible for such poor planning accountable.

“JPA and the health ministry must take a serious view of the issue and ensure no repeat of such incidents,” he said.

Yesterday, former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye said MOs should be given ample notice of their placements unless there were legitimate reasons, such as emergencies or disciplinary actions.

Lee said the transfer of doctors was pre-planned which meant that there was no excuse for informing the MOs at the last-minute.

On Twitter, a user who goes by thepettykutty had shared her experience of having to uproot at the eleventh hour due to a last-minute posting by the health ministry.

“This was me relocating my entire life from Pahang to Kedah, then downsizing to a few luggages to fly to Kuching, only to be given a placement three to four hours away and told to ‘lapor diri’ the very next day,” she tweeted, accompanied by a picture of her with her luggage by the roadside.

“Luckily a kind PKD (district health office) driver came to our rescue. I rarely speak about these experiences but this move was one of the lowest points in my career. The system has to change, how long are we expected to go on like this?”

FMT has reached out to health minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa for comment. - FMT