Absorb All Contract Doctors Into Govt Service Says Dap

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Lim Guan Eng said all contract medical officers are needed in the nation’s long-term battle against Covid-19. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: The government must devise a long-term financial plan to absorb all the 23,000 contract doctors into the government service as soon as possible because they will be needed to fight the Covid-19 pandemic on a long-term basis, says DAP.
Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the government should not even think of race and religion when offering the position to these junior doctors, as requested by an NGO which urged the health ministry to ensure all Bumiputera medical officers were absorbed into the health service.
“In this regard, DAP supports the Malaysian Medical Association’s concerns about a government proposal placing new medical graduates on a permanent basis, which appears to discriminate against non-Bumiputeras.
“To win the battle against Covid-19, a whole-of society effort is required that needs to mobilise all trained health workers, regardless of race, religion or socio-economic background,” he said in a statement today.
Lim Guan Eng.Yesterday, the MMA criticised a proposal for Putrajaya to ensure that new medical officers, especially from among the Bumiputeras, would be placed in permanent posts.
MMA president Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said racial or religious prejudices should not influence the selection of officers or whether they should serve in permanent positions.
He said Malaysia needed the best and brightest individuals to serve the people, adding that talent should not distinguish between ethnicity, religion, creed or gender.
Lim, the Bagan MP, said since the Perikatan Nasional government had admitted that Covid-19 is endemic and would not go away even after herd immunity is achieved, the country needed more doctors, nurses and trained health workers.
“An extra RM4 billion will enable all to be employed. At a time when the entire nation should unite together to win the battle against Covid-19, introducing the divisive and toxic rhetoric of race and religion will only jeopardise the effort to save lives and livelihoods.”
Replying to a letter from an NGO on Tuesday, health minister Dr Adham Baba said permanent posts can only be offered to contract doctors based on the vacancies available and not the number of graduates each year.
“From December 2016 to May this year, a total of 23,077 contract doctors were in the service. Out of this, we offered permanent positions to 789.
“Vacancies are not created according to the number of graduates, which is increasing every year.
“We have three evaluation committees in the ministry which select the candidates for the posts that are vacant. There are specific guidelines for the evaluators to adhere to,” he said in the letter. - FMT

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