KUCHING, July 17: Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii is calling on the Prime Minister and Health Minister to immediately reveal the Cabinet’s decision on the appeal by contract doctors to be appointed permanent positions in the civil service.
Dr Yii said the proposal paper was brought into the Cabinet meeting on July 14, but no official statement has been issued until today.
“The Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba was even reported (July 14) to have advised the contract doctors to be patient as the matter would be discussed by the Cabinet.
“However, until today, no official statement or direction has been revealed by any of them to the dismal of many health workers involved and even the public at large who are standing in solidarity with them to demand a fair and durable solution for our contract healthcare workers,” he said in a statement today.
Stressing on the urgency of the matter where postponement is not allowed, Dr Yii said the issue can no longer be swept under the carpet and urged the government to quickly resolve the contract system.
He pointed out there are policy decisions that the Cabinet can make immediately including allowing contract health workers to apply for the Hadiah Latihan Persekutuan (HLP) programme to further their Masters and specialisation.
Dr Yii added the programme could allow the contract medical staff to enjoy similar benefits as their permanent counterparts when they share the same work burden and responsibility.
“Such a policy decision may not incur major financial commitments and could be good first steps to resolve this issue comprehensively,” he said.
On July 14, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the proposal of appointing contract doctors to permanent positions in the civil service had to be discussed thoroughly as it would involve a cost of more than RM2 billion to the government.
He also promised to look into the issue despite several limitations in the current situation. — DayakDaily
