KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 – The government’s pledge to create at least 11,296 permanent positions for medical, dental, and pharmacy officers from 2022 until 2025 will cost an estimated RM3.4 billion in emoluments over the period.
Deputy Health Minister II Aaron Ago Dagang told the Dewan Rakyat today that the creation of 4,186 additional permanent positions in 2022 alone will cost RM337.5 million for the year, and will involve a further RM1.2 billion between 2023 and 2025.
The government has also agreed to make at least 1,500 permanent positions for medical, dental, and pharmacy available each year from 2023 to 2025.
“The estimated financial implication on emoluments for this is RM744.5 million for the three-year period,” Aaron said in response to Kangar MP Noor Amin Ahmad’s query on the matter during Question Time.
The addition of 800 permanent positions for medical officers and 70 permanent positions for dental officers from 2023 to 2025 to fill the gaps at the ministry’s health facilities will cost an additional RM1.1 billion over the next three years.
“Overall, the financial implication of all 11,296 positions mentioned above will involve an estimated allocation of RM3.4 billion,” Aaron said.
The deputy health minister said the government’s decision to absorb more contract doctors into permanent roles takes into account the country’s need for more specialist doctors.
The move was also expedited to partially resolve long-standing issues involving the contract system, which has only managed to absorb 1,118 medical officers, 1,019 dental officers, and 1,288 pharmacy officers to permanent roles from 2016 until 2021.