MEDICAL practitioners who are pursuing their studies to be specialists in various fields have been instructed to suspend their studies for three months to handle Covid-19 patients, a move that has irked the doctors.

A letter sighted by the Malaysian Insight, from Health Ministry secretary-general Shafiq Abdullah to the Higher Education Ministry, asked that classes for training of specialists be put on hold for three months from August 1 onwards.

Doctors who have been told to defer their studies are not happy with the decision as they see this three-month period being extended, with the Covid-19 pandemic not showing signs of abating.

“For now they (Health Ministry) say this will only be for three months but the situation (Covid-19 cases) does not seem to be getting better anytime soon. So, it means it’s going to be more than three months,” said a doctor who only wanted to be identified as Sarah.

Sarah said she doesn’t mind stepping in to help for three months as the situation in hospitals have worsened but with the condition that the government provide more assistance to hospitals soon, referring to extra beds, medical equipment and manpower.

“From a doctor’s perspective, all I see the government doing right now is politicking instead of providing necessary equipment that are required in hospitals,” she said.

Sarah said Covid-19 continues to ravage the country and the only way to overcome it is by working together.

“Everyone has to cooperate, from doctors to the public, to the government,” she said, adding the current situation seemed never-ending with doctors fighting everyday for better healthcare for everyone.

“Now it is all about compromising. Our oncology patients, chronic illnesses, mental health patients, paediatric cases that need urgent surgery, are all getting sub-optimal care due to the pandemic, which is very disappointing,” Sarah said.

Dr Helmy Haja Mydin from Pantai Hospital said on Twitter yesterday the public had not noticed that many non-Covid-19 patients had died because of overwhelmed intensive care units (ICU).

“Every extra Covid-19-positive patient in hospital means another non-Covid-19 surgery is postponed, another nurse pulled away from the ward, another step closer to running out of meds, ICU beds, oxygen, etc,” he tweeted.

Another doctor who wanted to be identified as Rachel said she is not happy at all with the government’s decision to put their studies on hold for three months.

“The government should not withhold all postgraduate training, instead it should be accredited as part of the curriculum or thesis.

“Should the government need more help for Covid-19 patients, let it be part of the curriculum for specialists’ training, instead of holding them back for three months,” Rachel said, adding that the three-month period will be extended, which would affect their career progress.

Malaysia yesterday logged 19,991 cases with the national caseload now at 1,299,767. Another 201 patients died, taking the death toll to 11,162.

The doctors said with more variants of concern the situation is expected to worsen in coming months, which could see their three-month “break” extended.

Last month, hundreds of contract doctors staged a walkout from government hospitals across the country as a sign of protest against the unfair contract system.

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.

Contract doctors, or medical officers, 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.

After the strike ended, director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said a special task force led by MoH and the Malaysian Medical Association is studying amendments to the Pensions Act to enable permanent posts for contract doctors. – August 11, 2021.