KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — Many contract house officers (HOs) who completed their training last December have yet to get a contract or permanent medical officer (MO) position in the civil service.
Malaysian Medics International (MMI), a loose group of Malaysian doctors and medical students, told The Star that the HOs, who trained from December 2016 to last December, were concerned about not getting government housing loans or government sponsorship for postgraduate studies.
“It’s crucial that the ministry addresses this matter soon as more contract HOs are quickly becoming floating MOs,” MMI chairman Dr S. S. Vikkineshwaran was quoted saying.
“Floating MOs” are HOs who have finished their training and are working as MOs, but whose contract terms are those of an HO (UD41 grade).
Dr Vikkineshwaran reportedly said some doctors were told that the government has yet to decide the criteria for permanent positions.
The Health Ministry announced in January 2017 that doctors, pharmacists, and dentists were no longer guaranteed permanent jobs in the public sector.
Health secretary-general Dr Chen Chaw Min told The Star then that doctors who finished their housemanship in three years would get another two-year contract of compulsory service as an MO.
