KUALA LUMPUR – The Health Ministry has finally approved “Cuti Tugas Khas Perubatan” (CTKP) for all doctors in psychiatic medicine and those treating patients with tuberculosis (TB) and leprosy.
A circular dated December 23 by the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Harjeet Singh was posted by the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) on Twitter, where MMA thanked the ministry for approving the leave after much lobbying and engagement.
“After a long six years, multiple meetings and presentations, MMA would like to thank @KKMPutrajaya for finally approving the Cuti Tugas Khas for ALL doctors,” it said.
The leave was introduced in 1985 for doctors treating TB and leprosy as well as those in psychiatric medicine at selected healthcare facilities only.
According to the recent circular, the Public Services Department had on September 13 approved the extension of CKTP to all full-time doctors in all public healthcare facilities working in those specific areas.
The CTKP, a special extra leave, is among the issues contract doctors have said was discriminatory, as only permanent doctors were able to apply for it. It was among a host of other issues that junior doctors have claimed are driving many to leave the public healthcare service.
The Hartal Doktor Kontrak movement, which has been pushing for fairer treatment and equal rights and benefits for contract doctors, also welcomed the ministry’s extension of CTKP to said doctors – including contract ones.
“Thank you to all those who made this possible. Let us end workplace discrimination in (the) Malaysian Health Ministry,” it tweeted.
Last August, the ministry also gave permanent posts to more than 4,000 contract health workers as part of efforts to resolve the list of outstanding issues in the contract doctor system. – The Vibes, December 29, 2022
