PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has called on the government to empathise with doctors who have been posted to another state.
“While we recognise that doctors should be posted where their services are required, the challenges these doctors face in relocating to another state, (for some, at short notice) should be taken into consideration,” MMA president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai said today.
In a statement, it called for the following:
1. Ensure that there is no disruption of healthcare services in any healthcare centres whilst facilitating relocations.
2. Ensure the training of medical officers undergoing specialist training is not affected.
3. Consider a reasonable placement allowance for doctors who have been instructed to relocate as they will be providing an essential service.
4. Adequate notice should be given to report for duty from date of placement letter, with the exact facility made known to the officers.
5. Allow the medical officers who have served for a stipulated time in Sabah and Sarawak to apply for a transfer, while ensuring transparency in its process.
6. Simplify the process of transfer application.
“In the long run, we have to improve our healthcare worker distribution system to ensure that the Ministry of Health is able to meet the healthcare needs of the population,” Dr Muruga added.
