For Future Doctors: Is This A Tragedy or A Comedy…………. Part 2I wrote my last article on 29/10/2019, throwing a question whether our junior doctors are facing a tragedy or a comedy. I modified the sentence, from the highest grossing R-Rated movie of all time, currently playing in cinemas: JOKER. “I use to think that my life was a tragedy, but now I realised it’s a […]
I wrote my last article on 29/10/2019, throwing a question whether our junior doctors are facing a tragedy or a comedy. I modified the sentence, from the highest grossing R-Rated movie of all time, currently playing in cinemas: JOKER. “I use to think that my life was a tragedy, but now I realised it’s a comedy”. In that article I explained the letter issued by MOH dated 30/09/2019 on the status of floating doctors. I said, those who receive an extension of contract will likely see their final journey in civil service. The end of that contract will be their end of a job in civil service. It looks like my interpretation of the letter was subsequently confirmed by our Health Minister in the Parliament, just 2 days later, on 31/10/2019:
He has also quoted some interesting figures during his answer in Parliament. As of 31/08/2019, we have 15 246 contract officers! In 2019 alone, we have 4 202 new contract officers and 2 515 are waiting to be appointed between November 2019 to February 2020. This figures are nothing unexpected. Since I started this blog, I had warned that this is going to happen. I first raised this issue in 2006 when I wrote an article to MMA Magazine . The mushrooming of medical schools without proper human resource planning will only lead to disaster. I have spoken about this for umpteenth years and thus I would not go into it again. We are producing about 4-5 000 graduates per year (35 medical schools locally and from overseas) when we have already reached a doctor: population ratio of 1:580 last year! The peak has not even arrived! The idea of contract post has a 2 prong strategy. Firstly, you can kick out those who are not performing and another is to allow you to complete your housemanship and compulsory service. This is similar to any developed country, jobs are never guaranteed but they will provide you with an internship post under contract as it is a statutory requirement to be eligible for full registration. However in Bolehland, transparency has never been in their dictionary. Below is a circular that was issued some time ago on how they expect to evaluate those who will receive permanent post and those who will receive a contract extension. REMEMBER, ultimately it also depends on availability of permanent post, as I wrote in 2016.
In June 2019, the first batch of contract housemen (who completed housemanship in December 2018) received their long awaited letter from KKM…….
While almost 1000 applied, only about 500 received permanent post and about 50 received extension of contract. In September, I heard another 175 received extension of contract. As per the letter above and my previous article, those who received permanent post got transferred “mengikut keperluan”. The worst is yet to come! Two days ago, I received information via this blog that those who got the extension of contract just received their official contract 2 weeks ago. The contract is extended from 5/12/2019(the day the first 3 years contract ends) to 4/12/2021 which is another 2 years. So, the total contract years will be 5 years. The shocking part, which I never expected was the fact that THIS CONTRACT KEEPS THEM AT THE SAME PAY GRADE AS A HOUSEMEN, WHICH IS U41, contrary to my understanding that it should have been U44 !!!
Yes, before the year 2010, most of us will remain in U41 (or U3 as it was known before 2001) for few years after completing housemanship with just annual increment. But in 2010, under the new promotional prospect for doctors in civil service (which I personally wrote during a SCHOMOS forum with KKM in 2006) , all those who complete housemanship will be promoted to U44 from the day of receiving full registration. While those who received permanent post got promoted to U44, those who receive contract extension seem to be “dianak tirikan ” ……………..
I find this totally atrocious! If a person is going to work as a medical officer and doing the same job as another permanent U44 officer, they should receive the same pay! Yes, they should thank their lucky stars that they have a job but we should never discriminate them by paying them lower than the rest. Unless you are transparent enough to say publicly than these guys had such a poor performance that they are not fit to hold a U44 post( that we are just doing a charity work by extending their contract to complete their compulsory service), everyone should be treated the same. Under labour law, can this be considered “forced labour”? BTW, our country’s international standing in labour law is not that great either.
For those who are unaware, SPA/JPA has been requesting to remove compulsory service over the past few years as they know they can’t provide jobs to everyone. However, it will be a disaster to do so, with many having a license to kill, out there. Completing housemanship do not make you competent enough to manage patients without any supervision. MMC has refused to comply to their request as it affects public safety. MMC’s motto is ” safeguarding patients and guiding doctors”. That’s why compulsory service is important, not just to comply with legal requirement but also to make you competent enough to practise on your own.
Whatever said, we should accept the fact that no job is guaranteed. No government guarantees you a job either. People should not assume that just because they are spending RM 500K to make their child a doctor, your investment is going to produce a guaranteed job and tons of money/return. Those eras are gone for good. However, these poor souls became a victim of poor human resource planning (which does not exist in Bolehland dictionary) and a capitalist world where commercialisation of medical education became a money making business!
I was also informed that from now onwards, the number of floating doctors who will receive permanent post will further decline due to availability of post. Remember, 15K is waiting in line! BTW, please be informed that compulsory service is only for 4 years ( 2 years HO and 2 years Mo), so you can leave before you finish your 5 years (after a total of 4 years). The question is : to where? Some can consider university hospitals but they too have their limits. Not to mention that contract officers are not entitled for Master’s program and banks will think twice before giving you a loan.
Basically, those who are being extended under contract will be paid under U41 salary but will end up doing the same job as a U44 MO, with their life in civil service ending in 2 more years. Again……..
IS THIS A TRAGEDY OR A COMEDY……………..
Source:
For Future Doctors: Is This A Tragedy or A Comedy…………. Part 2
