LETTER | Despite various parties emphasising the need for mental health services and the government pledging to look into mental healthcare, it is depressing to see how the Ministry of Health (MOH) has been treating our mental healthcare workers.

Early this year, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa announced nearly 5,000 permanent posts for medical, dental, and pharmacy officers in the MOH, but none for counsellors and clinical psychologists. Note, the intake of permanent posts for counsellors and clinical psychologists never exceeded 50 at a time, if it ever occurs.

While we applaud the then-government’s effort in taking in more than 200 counselling officers on an annual contractual basis to compensate for the shortage in 2020, it is vital to point out that we are often the forgotten bunch in MOH when the topic of permanent post arises.

For the public who are unaware of our existence, more than 200 counselling officers were placed in government health clinics all across Malaysia for accessible mental health services and the charges vary from RM1 to RM5 based on the respective clinics (which is very affordable).

This very much-needed service now benefitted more than 10,000 patients since its inception in 2020 and would still benefit many more patients shortly. Many of us left our previous lucrative jobs and entered the MOH despite the meagre benefits – no EPF, no Socso, no salary increment since 2020 and no paid maternity leave.

Nothing has changed

Many of us are disheartened as we do not see a career ahead in MOH; hence many had since left and it is understandable considering the rising cost of living. It became all the more upsetting when new permanent posts for counselling officers were filled in by a new intake of counselling officers instead of recruiting from the existing bunch of 200 counselling officers.

When our concerns were brought to the higher-ups in MOH, we were always assured that new posts would be coming, and were told to be patient... and yet nothing has changed.

When some of us brought up the late payment of salary to our district department, the department diverted us to MOH, and the MOH sent us back to our district department.

We understand that our service is contractual and that the government reserves the right to pay or not to pay our retirement funds and every other benefit.

But we are now entering the fourth year of our contract, and yet nothing has changed. We care for others, but who cares about us?

Our contract ends in August 2023. Will we still sacrifice our livelihood for the benefit of others?

Pillar in the healthcare system

Zaliha needs to think long and deep about the framework of our mental healthcare services. Undeniably, basic psychotropic medications for depression and anxiety are available in any government health clinic.

However, to obtain counselling services and clinical psychology services in the psychiatry outpatient clinic, you would have to wait a minimum of a month for an appointment date.

With counsellors placed throughout health clinics in Malaysia, appointments could be obtained within one week. To put it bluntly, the 200-plus counselling officers are serving as a pillar in the healthcare system, but this is how we are being treated.

Zaliha must look into our plight. We are being exploited! Do we have to go on strike like Hartal Doktor Kontrak to be heard?

Make changes to our contract, not just for our sake, but for the rakyat's as well.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.