KUALA LUMPUR — The Health Ministry needs more transparent processes in its placement system for junior doctors who have been offered permanent positions, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said.
MMA president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said while junior doctors are thankful for the permanent posts offered them, they still face problems when choosing placements on the online system, and are frustrated by a lack of transparency over placement decisions.
“There (are) reports of system crashes and limited availability of state slots during the application process. From feedback received, the placement system had experienced crashes upon release, preventing many applicants from accessing it.
“By the time it was restored, certain states had already run out of slots, leaving doctors forced to choose locations far from where they had been contributing effectively,” he said in a statement.
On the lack of transparency over placement and transfer decisions, Kalwinder said the ministry should consider allowing doctors already trained in a particular discipline to remain in their current posts when they are willing to do so, as they have already built experience and competency.
“Input from Heads of Departments should be given strong consideration in transfer decisions. Relocating experienced junior doctors without consultation risks disrupting critical services, departmental needs and services even further.”
The government also incurs unnecessary costs, as do the doctors, when they are asked to relocate from current roles they are willing to continue in, Kalwinder added.
Better planning for transfers and relocations can be done if there is more transparency on manpower data at public healthcare facilities across the country, he also said, urging the government to share such information.
“This is important to prevent maldistribution of healthcare workers.
“This (information) can show the numbers each facility needs in terms of House Officers (HOs), Medical Officers (MOs) and specialists to run the service.”
Kalwinder also reiterated MMA’s long standing call for the selection criteria for permanent positions set by the health ministry and the Public Services Department be made known to all applicants.
“This will help greatly in gaining the trust of doctors and the general public and ensure fairness.
“Junior doctors are frustrated with the lack of clarity on the selection criteria for permanent positions, with some receiving offers for permanent roles while others were placed on the reserve list,” he said. – November 7, 2024