SEVERAL medical non-governmental organisations (NGO) hurled brickbats at the health minister and other groups for seemingly playing the racial card in determining which contract medical officer (MO) should get permanent posts at the civil service.
“The suggestion by few associations smacks of racist nuances, preferring bumiputera doctors above their non-bumiputera colleagues to resolve the plight of our contract MOs.
“Apart from a few isolated reports, the medical fraternity in Malaysia has been blessed with a harmonious multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural co-existence.
“Our teachers and professors are from various races, so are our patients. Malaysians only wish to be treated by the best, no matter the colour or creed of the physician,” the NGOs said, in a joint statement.
The statement was signed by the Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia (IMAM), Persatuan Kesihatan IKRAM Malaysia (IKRAM Health) and Malaysian Society for Occupational Safety and Health (MSOSH).
Recently, contract doctors have threatened to launch a strike on July 1 as they were unhappy that over 23,000 of them have yet to get absorbed automatically as permanent staff, as was the practice in the past.
Many of them have been serving since December 2016, adding they were upset that the Government had only promised to extend their contracts until December next year.
On June 23, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham said that the Government has never stopped taking medical graduates for training, even during the pandemic crisis.
Responding to the calls made by the Malaysian Public Health Medical Association and the Malaysian Islamic Doctors Association, Adham added that the Government would ensure that medical graduates, especially Bumiputeras, can serve on a permanent basis and reduce unemployment rate.
However, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) lashed out at the minister for his statement, saying racial or religious prejudices should not influence the selection of officers or whether they would serve in permanent appointments.
“Malaysia needs the best and brightest individuals to serve the people and talent does not distinguish between ethnicity, religion, creed or gender,” its president Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy was reported saying.
Touching on the matter, the medical groups reminded Adham and those who used racist undertones on the MO issue of their oaths taken as Muslim physicians, which reads:
“Therefore, make us worthy of this favoured station with honour, dignity and piety so that we may devote our lives in serving mankind, poor or rich, literate or illiterate, Muslim or non-Muslim, black or white with patience and tolerance with virtue and reverence, with knowledge and vigilance, with Thy love in our hearts and compassion for Thy servants, Thy most precious creation.”
Give contract MOs permanent posts
With that, the NGOs stressed that the medical fraternity and the Health Ministry (MOH) has no place for ethnic or religious based policies.
On the contract MO issue, the groups opined that the former should be offered permanent posts with either pension or Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions for at least 15 years, upon graduating as earlier agreed upon by the Public Service Department (PSD) and MOH.
“This is to allow them to become full-fledged consultants during this time period,” it stated.
In defense of contract MOs, the NGOs said that the young doctors have sacrificed the most during the pandemic crisis, working long hours without seeing their loved ones for a long time.
In contrast to their colleagues in other ministries, contract MOs do not have the luxury to work from home, adding they have sacrificed their own well-being by skipping meals and sleep to treat patients.
“Plus, they also multitask ask as clinicians, clerical officers, vaccinators, counsellors and contact tracers. It is they who are resolving the day-to-day sufferings of the rakyat, at the frontline of this bitter war against COVID-19.
“And they serve with no discrimination against anyone. Pain, suffering and death does not recognise skin colour or religious beliefs
“Offer them the permanent posts. They definitely deserve it,” the group stressed. – June 28, 2021
