Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Health (MOH) is currently in discussions with the Public Service Department (PSD) regarding the filling of new permanent positions for medical officers. Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said the initiative aims to alleviate the burden faced by medical officers and fill vacancies at public healthcare facilities nationwide.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the authority to create permanent medical officer posts does not lie with MOH. Therefore, the ministry has submitted a request to increase permanent positions. The director-general of Health, Datuk Dr Mahathar Abd Wahab, is reviewing the current imbalance in distribution and placement of medical officers based on nationwide needs. He shared these insights with reporters after launching the World No Tobacco Day and World Tuberculosis Day at IOI Mall.
Also present at the event were Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon and Johor State Health Department (JKNJ) director Dr Mohtar Pungut@Ahmad. Lukanisman addressed the concerns raised by Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira, who called for the abolition of the contract appointment system for doctors to restore their confidence in the public sector.
Lukanisman added that MOH had completed the first phase of the e-placement involving medical officers. With around 2,231 placements completed in the first phase, and a total of 6,414 permanent posts available, 60 per cent of applications from medical officers have been fulfilled. However, vacancies remain in Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan, and MOH appeals to medical officers to accept these placements.
In a related development, the government is seeking ways to retain local medical officers and prevent their migration abroad by enhancing the staffing system and improving the welfare of healthcare workers. Lukanisman emphasized the ministry’s commitment to ensuring a better work-life balance for local doctors, as Malaysia faces competition from hospitals and medical companies in Singapore offering attractive salary packages.
He stressed that the government is focused on issues such as on-call duties, fatigue, bullying in hospitals, and healthcare staff welfare. Although unable to offer salaries on par with other countries, efforts are being made to improve work-life balance. Issues like on-call duties, burnout among medical officers, and bullying in hospitals are being actively discussed, as these cannot be solved solely through awareness campaigns.
It was reported on July 9 that Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) conducted interview sessions with doctors and general practitioners (GPs) in Malaysia at Traders Hotel KLCC, Kuala Lumpur.