By Adrian Lim
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24: The Health Ministry will prioritise candidates from Sarawak to fill up the vacancies and medical posts at health facilities in Sarawak.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said all 74 Sarawak-born officers out of 94 cohort officers for 2017 were absorbed as permanent staff and stationed in Sarawak in April 2020.
“We will continue to assist medical graduates who are born in Sarawak to serve in Sarawak.
“If they are interested to serve in Sarawak, the Health Ministry will give priority.
“Through the provision of the Medical Act 1971, the government has an obligation to allocate placements for medical graduates to provide them with experience through graduate training programmes or compulsory service with the government,” he said during the question and answer session in Parliament today.
Dr Adham was responding to Lanang MP Alice Lau who raised the question of the shortage of doctors in the rural areas of Sarawak.
For the latest on contract appointment, Dr Adham said in September 2020, the government has decided to offer a one-off six month contract extension to 79 medical officers.
He added the extra six-month contract extension was given on top of the previous six months contract to ensure continuity of services in battling the Covid-19 pandemic.
On another note, Dr Adham said the government is currently conducting right-sizing exercise through the rearrangement of posts from time to time based on service requirements.
He added the government has also created 10,675 new positions within the Health Ministry in phases to accommodate the needs of new and upgraded healthcare facilities that have yet to operate. — DayakDaily
