Healthcare Sector Welcomes Move To Fill Over 4,000 Positions, Urges Long-term Reform

KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 (Bernama) -- The government’s move to expedite the filling of 4,352 positions at public healthcare facilities, including for contract doctors, has been welcomed by medical associations and civil society groups.

They have, however, stressed that long-term reforms are still needed to address systemic shortages and improve talent retention in the healthcare sector.

Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira described the move as a ‘much-needed step forward’ in strengthening the public healthcare system and hoped that permanent appointments would be given based on seniority and years of service. 

“We hope that these will be permanent positions for contract doctors. If so, the permanent positions should be given based on seniority in terms of years of service,” he said in a statement. 

He also urged the government to expand permanent positions beyond current vacancies and to gradually phase out the contract employment scheme for doctors.

He added that offering permanent positions to all new doctors entering the public healthcare system, as practised in the past and similar to other civil service sectors, would help restore morale and retain talent, apart from "providing job security and clear pathways for career progression”.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in a special announcement yesterday, said the decision to accelerate the filling of healthcare vacancies was made in response to the urgent needs within the country’s healthcare sector.

Indian Public Servants Association of Putrajaya (IMAIYAM) president Dr M. Sathiskumar said the move was crucial not only for improving services, but also for creating career pathways for young medical professionals. 

Meanwhile, the Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) movement, which advocates the rights of contract doctors, also welcomed the announcement, though it was quick to emphasise that the move does not resolve the issue of shortage of health workers, as it only involves changing the status from contract doctors to permanent without increasing workforce numbers.

Its spokesman, Dr Muhammad Yassin, said long-term reforms must also address areas such as education, medical student intake, scholarship opportunities and policies on work placements.

"As long as salary and allowance issues are not seriously addressed, it won't stop the trend of doctors migrating overseas, such as Singapore,” he said.

-- BERNAMA