No disciplinary action against doctors who joined strike - Adham
PARLIAMENT | Health Minister Dr Adham Baba has assured that no disciplinary action will be taken against contract doctors who participated in yesterday’s nationwide strike.
“No action will be taken against them even though they have come out yesterday. It is within their rights to do so,” he told today’s special parliamentary session....
PARLIAMENT | Health Minister Dr Adham Baba has assured that no disciplinary action will be taken against contract doctors who participated in yesterday’s nationwide strike.
“No action will be taken against them even though they have come out yesterday. It is within their rights to do so,” he told today’s special parliamentary session.
Adham (above) said this in response to Dzulkefly Ahmad’s (Harapan-Kuala Selangor) question on whether action will be taken against doctors who joined the strike, which was held at 11am yesterday to call for better working conditions for contract doctors.
Elaborating, Adham said the government is taking extreme measures to resolve the issue, including by extending their contracts for two years and giving them perks equivalent to doctors in permanent posts.
At the same time, he said the government will bring the issue to parliament to discuss long-term solutions - such as by amending several laws like the Pensions Act 1990 - so that contract doctors can be absorbed into permanent positions.
“Regardless, we need to amend the act and we need your support so the matter can be carried and approved,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.
He also urged all doctors including those on contract to continue their work while the government resolves outstanding issues.
Dzulkefly, meanwhile, interjected and said his party would only support Adham’s proposal only if the contract is extended to eight to 10 years.
“What the Malaysian Medical Association asked for is not a short-term extension of two years, but at least eight to 10 years.
“Two years is not enough. We will continue to demand eight years and we will support eight years, not two. That is their request,” he said.
The debate became heated with Azizah Mohd Dun (PN - Beaufort) interjected to question Dzulkefly’s actions by asking what the latter had done when he was the health minister from 2018 to 2020.
“It was in the process. Our response, we had the Healthcare Service Commission for the whole thing, not just doctors but the entire service.
“That was our response, but the backdoor government…,” he said, before being interrupted by other MPs.
Among those interjecting was Khalid Samad (Amanah - Shah Alam), who accused Adham of misleading the Dewan Rakyat by giving a different answer than Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz yesterday.
Yesterday, Zafrul said contract doctors would be offered additional contracts, but Adham said they would be given permanent positions.
Hundreds of doctors had staged a nationwide walk-out from their posts at 11am yesterday while their seniors covered for their duties, as part of Hartal Doktor Kontrak movement’s lobbying for better job security and future career prospects.
Under the current system, contract doctors face uncertain prospects after their five-year mandatory service as the government lacks funds to offer them permanent positions.
As a result, many were forced to move to the private sector or seek specialist training abroad.
After months of lobbying, the government offered to extend their contracts by up to six years but stopped short of offering permanent postings.
However, it promised that government doctors would enjoy the same perks as those in permanent positions.
Hartal Doktor Kontrak said the government offer is ‘half-baked’ and not a long-term solution to their demands.
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