4,053 medical officers offered full-time positions

The health ministry has approved 4,053 out of 8,672 initial applications for permanent positions involving contract medical and dental officers and pharmacists for this year, its minister Khairy Jamaluddin said. 

He said this covers 3,215 medical officers, 438 dental officers and 400 pharmacists, while 225 candidates are on the standby list. 

"This is the highest addition of permanent positions since 2016, since the contract policy started, and after this we have (requested) at least 1,500 permanent positions every year which we will offer to contract officers," he said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

He said the health ministry would hold talks with the Public Services Commission (SPA) to determine the policy on whether those who are unsuccessful in applying for a permanent position can reapply or not.
 
"I do understand that some will be disappointed, and that is why the ministry will look into the matter after our discussions with the MMA (Malaysian Medical Association) on career options for those who could not be absorbed as permanent staff, to at least ensure that they are given good incentives and opportunities for specialised and sub-specialised training," he said.

Khairy said the ministry is also looking at a suitable model to determine whether a health service commission should be established by law or administratively.

Although the matter was not a main focus of the ministry at the moment, he said it would be discussed in the health white paper which is expected to be tabled in Parliament at the end of the year. 

"If you are to ask us (the ministry), of course we would want our own commission so that we will not be subjected to regular SPA policies. An example would be that (currently) if we are to fight for certain allowances in the ministry, we are subjected to policies under JPA (Public Service Department), which means this policy must be in tandem with other (public) services. 

"We go one step at a time… we want our own commission but the question of when to push for this (and) when to approve can be discussed during the drafting process of the health white paper," he added.