“We’re awaiting an announcement to be made about this quite soon,” said Dr Vijay Ganasan, chairman of MMA’s section for house officers, medical officers and specialists, at a press conference today to mark the end of the Code Black campaign in support of contract doctors.
“We also urge the government to table this issue for a long-term solution during the (next) Parliamentary sitting as well.”
Health minister Dr Adham Baba had said last week that proposals to amend the contract doctor scheme were being prepared and would be presented to the Cabinet soon.
Vijay said the MMA had held a “fruitful” meeting last week with Adham and health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah about contract doctors’ concerns. Discussions had also been held late last month with finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz.
The contract system limits medical officers to five years’ service in the public sector, after which they will have to move into the private sector or take up specialist training on their own. The scheme was introduced in 2016 to deal with an oversupply of medical graduates.
The MMA launched a Code Black campaign from July 1 to July 12, to encourage people to use black or monochrome logos or social media profile pictures to show their support for contract doctors. People were asked to go to work dressed in black today, the final day of the campaign.
Speaking at today’s Code Black event, MMA president Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said the MMA has yet to see a significant improvement in career prospects, access to specialisation pathways and job security for contract doctors since the first batch was recruited in December 2016.
He said more permanent positions were needed for all healthcare professions to retain contract staff in the public healthcare system as facilities are “insufficient” to support the growing and ageing population.
He urged the government to publish a detailed and transparent ranking system for appointments to permanent positions, assure job security for contract workers and to provide equal benefits and salaries for contract and permanent staff.
Subramaniam urged political leaders to set aside all politicking and work across the aisle to resolve the problem.