Hartal Doktor Kontrak 2 0 To Protest Budget 2022 S Mere Extension

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The team behind the Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) movement is organising a second strike.
“Hartal Doktor Kontrak 2.0” will be in protest against Budget 2022’s proposal to extend 10,000 trainee doctors’ contracts by another two years rather than offering them permanent positions.
In a statement on Twitter late last night, the group lamented that the extension was a “waste of time” as it did not promise job security or opportunities to specialise - their key demands.
They were also disappointed at the Health Ministry for failing to protest the decision.
“They have been discussing this for five years but there is yet to be a solution. They always promise permanent positions with Employees Provident Fund (contributions) but this is merely bait to get us to stop speaking up.
“Even after two years of battling hard against Covid-19, contract doctors’ sacrifices remain unappreciated.
“Therefore we would like to announce that Hartal Doktor Kontrak 2.0 will be held as a sign of protest,” they said.
When asked when the second strike will be held, HDK representative Dr Mustapha Kamal A Aziz said “soon” without specifying a date.

This is hard. But needs to be done. pic.twitter.com/sK5L1QRLiT
— HartalDoktorKontrak (@HKontrak) November 1, 2021Back in July, the movement managed to galvanise hundreds of contract doctors nationwide to walk out from their workplaces.

The HDK movement has been campaigning for an end to the "two-tier system" between permanent trainee doctors and those on contract at government hospitals, whereby the latter are ineligible for local postgraduate scholarships to become specialists.
They are also not guaranteed permanent posts after their five-year contract.
This is on top of a lack of transparent criteria for deciding which graduates obtain a contract or permanent training post in the first place.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin previously promised to work with HDK to find solutions. 
HDK is in the process of forming a contract doctors union by the end of the year to demand improvements to working conditions. - Mkini

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