Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) said this had been one of the demands of contract doctors over the past five years.

With the eligibility, contract doctors, including those in the dental service, can apply for  federal scholarships to attend specialist courses. Previously, only doctors in permanent positions were entitled to apply for these courses.

Earlier, HDK had posted a circular from the health ministry indicating medical and dental officers were now eligible to apply for federal scholarships to enrol in these specialist courses.

A post announcing the decision was also made on the health ministry’s Facebook page, asking those interested to apply for the scholarships from Jan 28.

In a statement, HDK thanked health minister Khairy Jamaluddin for delivering on his promise made over this matter.

It hoped that the ministry would also address the remaining concerns of contract doctors, as discussed last September.

Among their other demands were transparent criteria and selection for contract doctors  being considered for permanent positions.

The contract doctors also wanted to have the same perks as permanent doctors, including hazard leave, cancer leave and other benefits.