Govt must engage with contract doctors to resolve employment issues

Updated 1 year ago · Published on 3 Apr 2023 10:19AM · 3 Comments

ENOUGH has been said about why contract doctors should not strike.

Such an action has been described as holding the government to ransom, contravening civil service regulations, and defying trade union laws.

However, let us be reminded that the problem of the employment of contract doctors is not new one. It has existed for years without an amicable resolution. Matters were swept under the carpet.

Knowing very well the importance of medical and health services, why did the past governments allow the matter to fester for so long? Why were there no attempts to find a solution?.

It is not enough to say there are too many doctors. It is not necessarily a bad thing; it will allow for selection of the best among the large pool for specialisation.

The fact remains that he government still provides scholarships and study loans for medical studies.

Health services are essential services. Strikes, whether legal or not, are not allowed.

However, under extenuating circumstances, there is nothing to stop doctors from staging wildcat strikes, work stoppages or work-to-rule protests.

Of course, such actions might give rise to various disciplinary actions, including sacking.

If I am not mistaken, it is not the intention of those behind strike to engage in unlawful strikes. Far from it.

Contract doctors numbering in the thousands merely want to highlight their longstanding grievances to the government.

Contract doctors are as responsible as permanent doctors in the medical profession.

Malaysians don’t want want the health services to be disrupted.

I don’t think that the contract doctors want this too.

Hopefully, good sense will prevail.

The government must engage with them to find a solution. – April 3, 2023.

* P. Ramasamy is Penang chief minister II.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.

Related News

Sign up or sign in here to comment.

Comments

  • Let's be brutally honest about it.

    The government is too poor to provide suitable renumerations and support. Malaysia is RM1.5 trillion in debt.

    The doctors are overwhelmed because the people are too poor to afford private healthcare.

    The situation will only get worse eg. the 50%+ EPF contributors aged 55 and below who have less than RM10,000 will certainly aggravate the crisis when they retire.

    Blame it on ourselves for electing crooks and idiots to the past governments.

    Posted 1 year ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • It's a problem created by Bolehland Government in the past which is haunting them today. They were not sincere then due to reasons only those in power knew very well....too many nons were coming into that sector, I guess! Today it's in a very critical situation and yet no solutions.....let's see how they come out of this mess, which was only created by Bolehland then.....

    Posted 1 year ago by Crishan Veera · Reply

  • What is the point of engaging without sincerity, else these poor souls would not have reach to take such action, its because the other side is nothing but NATO ie No Action Talk Only

    Posted 1 year ago by Teruna Kelana · Reply