PUTRAJAYA needs to come up with a clear solution on the contract doctors situation before it tables the Budget 2022 or risk facing another Hartal Doktor Kontrak strike, warned the movement’s spokesperson Dr Mustapha Kamal. 

Mustapha said the group wants an immediate solution as the two-year period, as requested by the government to amend the Pensions Act, comes with a lot of uncertainties, looking at the country’s current political instability.

“We will allow the government to table the motion as soon as possible before Budget 2022 .

“We do allow them to discuss and come up with a plan, although Dr Adham  (the Health Minister) said they required two years, but I think two years is too long given the political instability in our country. 

“If they do not respond before the Budget 2022, most probably we will proceed with Hartal 2.0,” Mustapha told reporters in a virtual press conference today.

When asked how the Hartal 2.0 protest will be conducted, Mustapha said that they will consider the current events such as the Covid-19 and the situation with government.

Last week, hundreds of health workers staged a walkout from government hospitals across the nation as a sign of protest against the unfair contract system.

After the strike ended, Health Director-General Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said a special taskforce led by the Health Ministry (MoH) and the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) is studying the amendments to the Pensions Act to enable permanent posts for contract doctors.

He said that he hopes the taskforce will see to the amendments of the Pensions Act for permanent employment with EPF (Employees Provident Fund) within two years be given to all 23,000 contract doctors now.

He also urged MPs to support this move when the amendments come before Parliament, and for contract doctors to continue negotiations rather than protesting. 

The protest went ahead despite Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announcing a further two-year extension of contract for all contract medical officers, dental officers and pharmaceutical officers upon completion of their mandatory government service.

Muhyiddin said that the contracts of officers who have been accepted for specialist studies will also be extended for four more years.

Mustapha said they had a meeting with Noor Hisham after the strike was held, where he claimed that the director-general expressed his concerns on the situation of the contract doctors and hoped the health minister tables the solution in Parliament soon. 

Mustapha said that as part of their long-term plan, they are engaging with the Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) and Congress of Union of Employees in the Public and Civil Services Malaysia (Cuepacs) to establish a union for the doctors.

Mustapha said that although MMA is there to represent the doctors, he felt that their powers are restricted and hence wants a solid coalition to represent the doctors.

“We are currently engaging with MTUC and Cuepacs on how we, as professionals, can establish a union to bring our voices forward.

“There is MMA but we think MMA’s power is a bit restricted because they are more towards NGO rather than a union like the British Medical Association in the United Kingdom. 

“So, I believe if we have a union, we can really raise our voices better and prosper towards a better healthcare system,” he said. 

Another representative who is in charge of registering the union, and only wanted to be known as Dr Syed, said contract doctors from the UD41 and UD44 grades can be part of the union, where they can raise their plights. 

“Professional workers can’t have their own union but junior doctors, especially those in UD41 to 44, there is a clause which allows them to have a union,” Syed said. 

Since the system was launched in 2016, only over 700 out of 23,000 contract doctors have been given permanent posts.

Contract doctors, or medical officers (MOs), have said that being on contract for the five years under the system denies them career progression and the chance to take up specialisation, which often takes longer.

The system also denies them equal treatment as doctors, such as paid study leave and federal training awards.

There are also complaints that the criteria and assessment for appointment to permanent posts lack transparency. – July 30, 2021.