Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim has appealed to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for immediate intervention before the contract doctors go on strike in the next three days.
While the PKR lawmaker said going on strike was a fundamental right, Anwar could assuage the doctors who are mad at the government.
"The prime minister's intervention with assurances to solve their problems could avoid the strike from being launched tomorrow - which is feared could cripple operations at (public hospitals).
"The prime minister must hear their protests that there is discrimination and oppression towards contract doctors," Hassan (above) said.
He added that the prime minister must also ensure that the Health Ministry does not take action against those going on strike.
A group dubbed Mogok Doktor Malaysia is calling on contract doctors to go on strike from Monday to Wednesday by taking medical leave, emergency leave, or by resigning en masse.
The group’s demands include that all contract doctors be given permanent positions, an increase in basic salary and on-call rates, and a resolution to staff shortages.
The group claims over 8,000 doctors will take part in the strike.
Anwar had said that resolving the woes of contract doctors may take three years, while assuring that 1,500 would get permanent jobs this year.
“If we were to give all 4,000 (permanent placements) as demanded, we will need more than RM10 billion a year. So this is impossible,” the premier had said.
A high-level committee led by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has also asked for a chance at solving the contract doctors' woes. - Mkini
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