KUALA LUMPUR – The Health Ministry (MoH) are expected to get more permanent staff after receiving approval for a total of 10,675 new posts in phases through trade-offs.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said following the implementation of the rightsizing policy in the civil service in 2015, permanent posts would no longer be considered unless they were implemented through trade-offs.
Adham said this when officiating the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and Section Concerning House Officers, Medical Officers and Specialists (SHCOMOS) 2021 virtual forum here, today.
He said MoH now has 252,911 permanent staff and more than 40,000 contract staff covering various service schemes with some appointed to meet the requirements of graduate training and compulsory service, while others were taken in specifically to help Putrajaya’s Covid-19 response.
Dr Adham said salaries excluding allowances made up more than RM17 billion or 63% of MoH’s annual operating expenditure, adding that this is among the highest globally.
“For example, out of the 18 countries surveyed in Europe, the average total salary payable in those countries is around 42.3% of the approved health budget, while out of the 64 countries in the world, the average salary payable is around 42.2%,” he said.
Therefore, he urged all quarters to understand the constraints the ministry is facing in terms of creating additional posts, as other ministries also required human resources and public spending.
Dr Adham said MoH would apply for additional permanent posts from time to time, adding that the ministry also planned to apply for staff to have longer contracts.
In the meantime, Dr Adham said the Finance Ministry had agreed to extend the contract period for medical, dental and pharmacy officers whose contracts would expire in the middle of this year and offers would be made to the relevant officers by the ministry. – Bernama, March 14, 2021
