THE “Black Monday” protest by Mogok Doktor Malaysia, which went dark on the second of its three-day strike, would have garnered more support from junior doctors if it was better planned, another contract doctors’ movement said.

Acknowledging that the newly formed group had achieved its mission to some extent, a Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) spokesman said the event was unfinished and poorly attended because of bad planning and timing.

“Just recently, some 7,000 junior doctors went for interviews to fill around 4,000 permanent slots.

“The doctors definitely won’t join such a strike considering it will jeopardise their chance of being absorbed,” the spokesman, who asked for anonymity, told The Malaysian Insight.

HDK, which held a nationwide strike on July 26, 2021, distanced itself from the latest strike despite airing its own dissatisfactions with the government over the plight faced by junior doctors.

Last week, Mogok Doktor Malaysia urged contract medical staff to show solidarity by taking emergency or medical leave from Monday until today to express grievances with the system and low wages.

It warned the public to expect longer waits at public health clinics and hospitals on those days.

The group demanded absorption of all contract medical officers into permanent positions without any conditions or interviews, basic salary increments, higher on-call rates, a resolution to the shortage of specialists, medical officers and house officers, and an automatic reduction in the compulsory service term for medical officers.

Yesterday, the group deactivated its Instagram account, its main mode of communication, on the second day of the protest. It had some 15,000 followers.

No reason was given for the move.

Several contract doctors who spoke to The Malaysian Insight prior to the strike distanced themselves from the protest, similarly citing poor planning as a reason. 

Despite the lack of disruptions reported in most of the hospitals, Black Monday organisers claimed the strike successfully achieved the group’s aim. 

They claimed that some 3,000 contract doctors took part in the strike, compared with its initial target of 8,000.

Political ploy

The HDK spokesman said the ambiguity surrounding the protest’s mastermind was also a concern for junior doctors.

He said some viewed it as a political ploy.

“There wasn’t a real face we could put to the strike. No one knows who was behind the strike and it caused poor acceptance among junior doctors and even the public, as many felt it could have been a political ploy,” he said.

He said during Ramadan, joining a strike would be the last thing on people’s minds. 

However, he said the fact that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim addressed the plight of contract doctors in parliament could be viewed as an accomplishment for Mogok Doktor Malaysia.

“I wouldn’t say it (the protest) failed completely. It did achieve the mission to get attention from the public and lawmakers.

“The prime minister responded to the contract doctors issue in parliament on Tuesday and the government has agreed to form a high-level committee to discuss the long-standing issue concerning contract doctors,” he said.

Yesterday, Anwar said the government would need at least three years to resolve the contract doctors’ grouses.

Anwar, who is also finance minister, said more than 12,000 contract doctors are set to receive permanent postings within those three years.

He said there are 20,333 contract doctors appointed by the Health Ministry, of whom 12,800 are housemen. – April 5, 2023.