Include Us In Committee On Contract Doctor Issue Hartal Tells Govt

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Hartal Doktor Kontrak wants to be represented in the inter-ministerial committee set up to look into issues related to contract doctors.PETALING JAYA: The Hartal Doktor Kontrak group (HDK) has urged the government to include it in the inter-ministerial committee set up to look into issues related to contract doctors.
HDK said it hoped the setting up of the committee would expedite discussion and analysis of the situation.
“However, we urge the health minister to include HDK as a member to properly represent contract doctors in the committee,” the group said in a statement today.
Ads by KioskedIt said that without proper representation, the committee would not be impactful enough to resolve the issue, and would instead be “the same as multiple previous committees looking into the issue”.
On April 1, FMT reported that the Cabinet had agreed to establish an inter-ministerial committee to look into issues related to contract doctors.

HDK said the next step would be to set up a national healthcare commission to oversee and improve the nation’s healthcare services.
Separately, it denied any involvement in the nationwide three-day strike by contract doctors starting today.
It said it did not have any “direct or indirect influence” on the strike planned by another group, Mogok Doktor Kontrak (Malaysian Doctors on Strike).
“While we are not involved, we do believe it is their right to protest, and (we) leave the circumstances of the protest to them,” said HDK.
Ads by KioskedIt hoped that patient care would not be jeopardised, and for healthcare services to resume once the protest is over.
More than 8,000 contract doctors are expected to go on strike from today till Wednesday by taking medical or emergency leave. They are protesting against what they described as an unfair system and low wages.
The group organising the strike warned of longer waiting time at health clinics and government hospitals during the three days. - FMT

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