KUALA LUMPUR – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says the issue of contract doctors was not raised during his term in office as the matter was not a major problem at the time.
The Pejuang chairman, who took on his second term as prime minister between May 2018 and March 2020, said contract doctors at the time saw the prospect of becoming permanent medical officers (MOs).
“It was not brought to my attention at that time because it was not a problem; the contract doctors were not complaining because they can see that after being a contract doctor, they can be put on permanent service,” said Dr Mahathir during an online press conference.
He was asked what his administration did to address the issue of contract doctors, an issue that began in 2016 when the government introduced a contract system for medical officers as a temporary measure to address an influx of medical students.
According to the Hartal Doktor Kontrak movement, which staged a mass walkout of doctors today, the government’s move resulted in only 789 out of 23,077 officers having received a permanent placement to date.
However, Dr Mahathir insists that the issue was not raised while he was in office, nor during predecessor Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration.
“But now it is a problem because these people (doctors) have been there a long time. That is when they feel the pain of not being treated well by the government.”
Dr Mahathir said the government of the day should consider giving permanent posts to those who have served a certain number of years.
“I think it’s grossly unfair that over so many years, they have been working under contract.
“They are performing the work as an ordinary doctor but they are not getting all the perks that medical officers get.”
He added that the government must also place measures to discourage doctors from taking their skills abroad as the country needs them, especially during the current Covid-19 pandemic.
‘Sitting of Parliament, not parliamentary sitting’
Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir said the special parliamentary session currently being held without any debate or amendment of laws imposed during the emergency was merely held out of political motivation.
“The government is feeling very weak and constantly under attack, that is why it is having a sitting. It is not in compliance with the opinion of the Agong or the rulers,” he said.
“The rulers wanted this thing to be done earlier, as soon as possible, but it has taken a long time.
“They are having a sitting of Parliament, not a parliamentary sitting.” – The Vibes, July 26, 2021
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