This Content Is Only For Subscribers
MIRI, July 21: The reassignment of contract doctors in Miri has raised concern, as it may result in a slowdown of medical services and increase the workload for other doctors.
Citing this, Youth Central Publicity and Information Secretary cum Pujut Youth Chief of Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Kelvin Hii, is calling for the Ministry of Health in Malaysia to review and improve the issue of contract doctors.
Hii said that around 40 doctors will be reassigned to other areas, leading to a potential slowdown in medical services at Miri General Hospital and adding to the burden of existing doctors.
“The people of Miri may also be affected by the reshuffling of medical personnel. This matter is crucial and deserves serious attention,” he said today.
He added, Miri General Hospital handles numerous cases daily, not only serving city residents but also attending to patients from the outskirts and nearby towns.
“A reduction in medical personnel will undoubtedly have an impact,” he pointed out.
Hii hopes that the Federal government can review the mechanism of contract doctors and expedite the reassignment process to mitigate further consequences.
“Additionally, it is worth mentioning that many doctors have endured at least five years of study and faced numerous challenges during their internships, yet they cannot become official doctors,” he added.
Hii said, while healthcare has always been a significant expense for the government, and it is difficult to accommodate a large number of permanent positions, it is hoped that the government can increase the number of permanent positions and relax the criteria for selecting doctors for regularisation.
Furthermore, there are about 200 doctors who were originally supposed to be assigned to Sarawak but declined or might not show up due to personal reasons, which also needs attention, he said.
“Many new contract doctors from outside Sarawak have limited knowledge and concerns about coming to Sarawak, which is a matter of concern,” he added.
The Ministry of Health is encouraged to assign more locally graduated contract doctors to serve in Sarawak and increase the number of positions in government hospitals to improve the medical standard in the State, Hii urged. — DayakDaily
