KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 – Contract allied health care workers have joined forces across four professions to demand for contract extensions and permanent positions in the public health service.
Assistant medical officers or medical assistants (PPP), medical laboratory technologists (JTMP), assistant environmental health officers or health inspectors (PPKP), and radiographers in the Ministry of Health (MOH) recently banded together in a movement called Hartal Contract Allied Health Care Workers, to start a petition for immediate contract extensions and, in the near future, permanent appointments.
In just eight days since the petition was launched last May 28, a whopping 10,640 signatures have been obtained at the time of writing. A Hartal Contract Allied Health Care Workers spokesperson said most of the signatures were from allied health care professionals in the public sector, including doctors, rather than the general public.
The petition by contract staff from the four allied health care professions, simply put under the name “Frontliner Solidarity”, noted that the government had hired PPPs, JTMPs, PPKPs, and radiographers from private colleges on a contract basis to support the “nearly paralysed” public health service during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“However, after the pandemic began abating, the services of contract health and medical workers were no longer needed. Our services began to be terminated in stages,” said the petition.
“Where is justice for us? As many as 1,271 workers were terminated from early 2023 until now, while 1,889 officers are due to face the same fate in this month of June.”
Hartal Contract Allied Health Care Workers demanded a guarantee from the MOH for immediate and longer contract extensions at two years for contract allied health care professionals from private colleges, similar to contract appointments for those sponsored by the MOH, as well as for the government to consider permanent appointments for them all in the near future.
“We will send this petition and memorandum to Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa at MOH Putrajaya as soon as possible,” Hartal Contract Allied Health Care Workers said in a press statement today.
“With this, we hope that the media will publish news about our solidarity on June 6, 2023, to inform the government and the people outside that we are among the important health care workers in the health sector.”
The petition by the four allied health care professions spelled out their roles in the public health service.
“Each of us plays an important role.”
Medical assistants (PPP) examine, diagnose, and treat mild sickness; provide health education to individuals, groups, and society; dispense, order, and store medications; and provide early and immediate treatment and support for all emergency cases, and refer such cases to medical officers for further management.
Medical laboratory technologists (JTMP) focus on study or research used to help in diagnosis, identifying the cause of disease, and methods for control and recovery. JTMPs also conduct lab analyses and produce accurate results to help medical officers diagnose a disease.
Health inspectors (PPKP) supervise and send reports related to activities like inspections, investigations, actions that were taken, and monitoring of infectious diseases.
Radiographers are responsible for the management, organisation, and protection of X-rays for patients, the general public, and staff, besides ensuring quality control in line with guidelines.
“It must be acknowledged that the presence of contract assistant medical officers (PPP), medical laboratory technologists (JTMP), assistant environmental health officers (PPKP), and radiographers from private colleges has led to significant contributions, amid the paralysis of other permanent health and medical workers,” said the petition.
Hartal Contract Allied Health Care Workers (Twitter account @HAlliedCare) is the third movement formed amid severe disgruntlement, particularly among contract staff, in the public health service, following the formation of Hartal Doktor Kontrak representing contract doctors and Hartal Ahli Farmasi Kontrak representing contract pharmacists.
