THE government must compensate medical officers for the inconvenience caused by last-minute postings, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said today.

President Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai said it is unreasonable to expect medical officers to report for duty in another state at such short notice.

“The government must take full responsibility and compensate medical officers. 

“We hope the Public Service Department and the Health Ministry will get to the bottom of this issue and straighten out the department responsible for the poor planning,” Muruga said in a statement, adding that arrangements to relocate to another state require notice to manage financial commitments such as rent and other bills.

“If they are parents, they may need to take their children with them and find day care or enrol the children in new schools.

“The ministry and department must take a serious view of the issue and ensure no repeat of such incidents,” he said.

Yesterday, former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye said last-minute postings should not happen because they are supposed to be planned in good time.

He said that barring legitimate reasons – such as emergencies or disciplinary action – medical officers should be given ample notice of a posting.

“All this should be planned in advance, so why is it being done last minute? The public services department will know from their own experience that you cannot transfer a civil servant within 24 hours. It doesn’t make sense,” Lee said.

“The department and the ministry should communicate and make sure that this does not happen.” – February 1, 2023.