Ipoh Timor candidate Howard Lee says a PH government will appoint more medical officers on "contract of service", or secure tenure, shifting from "contract for service".
There is a lack of hospitals (district and tertiary) in Sabah, causing patients to have to travel long distances (some up to 100+km) just to see a specialist.
The Health Ministry allocated an additional RM600 million for contract staff emoluments for 2023, but maintained the number of permanent positions under its medical programme.
216 contract officers were offered the Program Latihan Kepakaran (PLK) with an MOH scholarship, the first since the introduction of the contract system in 2016.
HWCITF’s 162-page report fails to confirm if workplace bullying is a real problem faced by junior doctors, lacks personal stories, and makes sweeping recommendations without providing data or evidence.
Inequalities in remuneration, benefits, job security, and access to career progression opportunities have led to a crisis that affects contract doctors.
MMA president Dr Koh Kar Chai says it will not be a waste if contract doctors, who successfully apply for release, continue to serve in Malaysia, albeit in the private sector.