#HartalDoktorKontrak : Permanent Solution Needed Fast

The government and authorities should not take any action against the contract doctors who participated in Monday's peaceful protest. Despite the walk-out, these young doctors still ensured that their patients were taken care of by other medical officers. So it was not really a strike, and the patients were never really in any danger. The doctors observed strict social distancing during the protest to ensure no chance of a new cluster. So what was their sin? 

If action is indeed taken against them, there will be a negative impact on these young doctors’ career progression. The Medical Act 1971, which determines the registration of a medical practitioner in Malaysia, states that disciplinary action may be taken against registered individuals who have been convicted with an offence punishable with imprisonment or “guilty of infamous conduct”. This would include suspension from the register, or even deregistration. Worse, history of such action may prevent a contract doctor from being selected for a permanent position in the future.

Contract doctors are of course aware of all these consequences. It is with this risk in mind that they participated in the protest for their voices to be heard, because they do not have any other choice. They are not demanding for luxuries or more pay, but simply for fairness and job security.

Even if all the contract doctors’ demands were met (which they were not), I contend that it is still not a permanent solution.

The government only resorted to the contract doctors system as a temporary stop-gap measure, due to pressing conditions back in 2016.  Sure, the issue will not be an easy one to address but it is high time to do so, especially when so many contract medical officers’ lives are now at risk as this pandemic rages on. Do not kick the can further down the road by merely extending their contracts for a further two years. Many doctors are already experiencing burnout from overwork. Something must be done urgently before we lose our talented young doctors to greener pastures like the private sector, or worse, burn them out until they become patients instead.

Malaysia has one of the best public healthcare systems in the world. At public hospitals, medicine and surgeries are heavily subsidised by the government; but we risk ruining our public healthcare system if its best doctors are forced to join the private sector or leave the country.

We should not politicise this matter; instead, let us work together to sketch out a plan that can help us return to the pre-2016 arrangement. Government and Opposition, NGO and public servants, should all have a round-table discussion to resolve this.

We must all learn to give and take. There has to be a middle ground, but having the police take action against young doctors certainly isn’t bringing us there.

This is not just for the well-being of our doctors but also for the future of our healthcare system.

Chris Daniel Wong
MCA Youth Wilayah Persekutuan Vice Chairman
BN Youth Wilayah Persekutuan Information Chairman

-MCA online-