KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 — The government decided last Friday to promote contract medical and dental officers from Grade 41 to 43 to give them the same emoluments as their permanent counterparts.
Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said the streamlining of the civil service grade was in accordance with the service scheme that allows medical officers to be appointed on a contract basis on UD43, which is equivalent to the UD44 grade.
The same grade streamlining has also been extended to contract dental officers.
“This approval is appropriate for the ‘Malaysia Prihatin’ approach currently practiced by the government and is also in line with the principle of rate for the job,” Dr Adham said in a statement today.
“This is because contract medical and dental officers have the same work burden as permanent officers who are promoted to UD44 after fulfilling the criteria for promotion and at least two years of service.”
Medical groups have long called for contract doctors, who face the prospect of not receiving any permanent positions in the public sector after serving their two-year compulsory service with the government, to be promoted to the same level as their permanent counterparts.
UD41 contract medical officers are maintained on the same salary scheme as their junior housemen, but without an RM600 monthly flexi allowance that trainee doctors receive. The annual salary differential between UD41 contract medical officers and their UD43/44 permanent counterparts is about RM8,000.
