KUALA LUMPUR – The Hartal Doktor Kontrak movement and the Health Ministry have locked horns yet again, this time over the allegations of a shortage of medical officers in Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) and Tunku Azizah Hospital (HTA).
In a statement today, the ministry said the issue of staff shortage at the hospitals was “irrelevant,” claiming that it had arranged for new medical personnel from other states to replace the ones leaving the hospitals.
“Therefore, there is no medical officer shortage crisis in HKL and HTA,” it said, adding that these transfers were a normal procedure.
The statement follows an internal memo on June 30 from HKL’s top management detailing an imminent medical officer shortage “crisis” in the hospitals once junior doctors exit on July 18.
In the internal memo, HKL’s deputy medical director Dr Marina Abdullah Sani invited all medical officers to attend a meeting on the day over the purported shortage of doctors.
The denial, however, has received backlash from the vocal movement, which took to Twitter to air their frustrations with the statement.
Seperti biasa penafian daripada pihak KKM.
— HartalDoktorKontrak (@HKontrak) July 1, 2022
Kenyataan tiada asas.
Yang keluar hampir ratusan, yang masuk tak sampai separuh pun daripada jumlah yang keluar.
Contoh terdekat adalah penempatan bulan Mac/April lalu.
- bebenang - https://t.co/5am92dP1TH
It claimed that the number of medical officers transferred out of the hospitals do not align with the number of those sent to fill the empty spots.
“During the previous placements, nearly a hundred junior doctors left HKL and HTA but less than 30 (medical officers) came in,” it alleged.
Calling on the ministry to issue a statement on the exact figure of outgoing and incoming medical personnel, it said that the dire predicament is apparent by the extensive wait at HTA’s emergency department and expressed concern over the situation worsening.
“The waiting time at HTA’s emergency department, as is well known, is over seven hours,” it said.
“Will waiting times be even longer after this? Since there are also junior doctors there, how many personnel will be sent to replace them if they leave?
“Will the amount be the same or will more manpower be tasked so that the existing problem can be overcome?”
"akan berlaku krisis kekurangan Pegawai Perubatan”
— HartalDoktorKontrak (@HKontrak) June 30, 2022
We told you so. Long time ago. And it is going to get worse. #hartaldoktorkontrak pic.twitter.com/3aGbTCHOBK
Yesterday, the movement had posted a photo of the internal memo from HKL, saying that it had already warned the ministry of the crisis. – The Vibes, July 1, 2022
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