Hartal Recruiting Doctors Willing To ‘Sacrifice Whatever It Takes’

Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) is recruiting new “fighters” who are willing to “sacrifice whatever it takes” for the movement. Previously in 2021, Dr Zaliha Mustafa criticised the government for taking action against contract doctors who went on strike.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 – Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK), which organised a one-day strike among contract doctors in 2021, has issued a fresh call for government doctors to join their movement. 

HDK tweeted a poster that stated “Wanted: New Fighter for Hartal Doktor Kontrak”, along with a link to a Google Form that requested for applicants’ name, Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) number, contact number, current place of practice, and whether they’re a contract or permanent staff.  

The form also asks if applicants are planning to leave the Ministry of Health (MOH) soon, their future career plans, and their purpose in joining HDK or what they can offer the movement.

“I’m hereby wholehearted willing to join the movement and to sacrifice whatever it takes, and willing to face the possible outcome that might arises from the collective actions from the movement as a team,” states the last question in the form, which has a “yes” or “no” option.

HDK did not specify if they are planning to organise another strike. 

There are no unions for medical practitioners in Malaysia, although government nurses have the Malayan Nurses Union (MNU). 

CodeBlue carried out a survey among 1,652 government doctors, pharmacists, dentists, nurses, and other allied health care workers earlier this month that showed more than half (867 people) are willing to go on strike if one is organised. Another 34 per cent were uncertain about participating in industrial action, while only 14 per cent opposed walkouts.

CodeBlue’s poll among predominantly MOH workers revealed widespread anger and frustration in the government health service, including among senior doctors and permanent staff, with 95 per cent agreeing that the public health care system is in crisis.

In a July 2021 TikTok video posted by Dr Zaliha Mustafa, before she was appointed health minister in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration last month, the PKR politician defended then-Pandan MP Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail when the latter raised the plight of contract doctors in Parliament after their one-day strike.

“Action was taken against those who went on strike. Even though the minister promised that action wouldn’t be taken, some were questioned and prohibited from getting legal counsel,” Dr Zaliha said, referring to then-Health Minister Dr Adham Baba.

Since her appointment as health minister, Dr Zaliha has been under fire for her perceived inability to propose concrete solutions to an increasingly overloaded and understaffed public health care system, while staff complain of being overworked and underpaid. 

The health minister, who is a first-term MP, was also heavily criticised by government doctors for visiting London enroute to a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting in Geneva, after she said in a statement that she was discussing with Malaysian medical experts working in the United Kingdom on how to implement changes in Malaysia’s health care system.

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