M. Krishnamoorthy
A media coach, associate professor and an author
Parents spend close to a million Ringgit to educate children to be a doctor. And, now the Health Ministry states RM9.16 per hour is an ‘appropriate’ rate as a doctor’s weekend on-call allowance.
A Grab driver, waiter and office boy earn more than that in an hour. Mind you, none of these professions needed the five-year training and two-year horsemanship like a doctor.
MMA hit out at inefficient, insensitive Government for rejecting higher on-call payments. Is the Health Ministry embarrassing the noble medical profession?
MMA president Dr Azizan Abdul Aziz said the government’s “outright rejection” of the proposal to increase public healthcare doctors’ weekend on-call allowance from the current hourly rate of RM9.16 to RM25, was “utterly disappointing”.
With burnout, low wages and now stagnant allowances, there is a growing concern that these issues might exacerbate frustrations and lead to a brain drain in the healthcare sector.
“The ministry’s response stating that RM9.16 per hour is an ‘appropriate’ rate is an insult to doctors and all healthcare workers in the country. Is the government even aware that there are waiters in the country who get paid a higher hourly rate than its doctors?” She asked in a statement.
Besides, the association expressed concern about the inaccurate information provided by the government, leading to a false public perception of the situation. It was clarified that not all public healthcare doctors are entitled to the allowances mentioned in the government’s response, creating confusion among the public.
She expressed deep disappointment over the government’s recent rejection of their proposal to increase the on-call allowance for public healthcare doctors. Dr Azizan criticised the government’s decision, calling it an insult to healthcare professionals nationwide.
“We are utterly disappointed over the government’s outright rejection of our proposal to increase public healthcare doctors’ weekend on-call allowance from the current hourly rate of RM9.16 to RM25. The Health Ministry’s (MOH) response stating that RM9.16 is an ‘appropriate’ rate insults doctors and all healthcare workers in the country. Is the government even aware that there are waiters in the country who get paid a higher hourly rate than its doctors?” said Dr Azizan.
“Contrary to the government’s explanation – the amount is paid for 24 hours of work (which would not be paid had the doctor not worked); therefore, the RM220 should be divided by 24 hours.”
She also highlighted that this rejection comes after a 10-month wait to respond to their previous town hall, further adding to their frustration.
MMA criticised the government’s lack of transparency in the selection criteria for permanent positions within the healthcare system. Dr Azizan stressed the importance of a fair and transparent ranking system to evaluate doctors properly.
Moreover, she urged the government to reconsider its decision, emphasising the high attrition rate in public healthcare.
She also highlighted a staggering 1,131% increase in contract medical officer resignations from 2017 to 2022, indicating the severity of the issue. Additionally, 890 specialists resigned from government service between 2018 and 2022, averaging more than four specialists leaving per week during that period.
Freelance Writer M. Krishnamoorthy (www.imkrishna.net) is a media coach, associate professor and undercover journalist. He has freelanced with Bernama, NST, The Star, and Malaysiakini. He also freelances as a fixer/coordinator for CNN, BBC, German and Australian Television networks and the New York Times. As an undercover journalist, he has highlighted society's concerns going undercover as a beggar, security guard, blind man, disabled salesman and Member of Parliament.
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