Health ministry 'committed' to permanent appointment of 12,800 contract doctors

The appointment of 12,800 permanent doctors will take into account medical officers who have completed their graduate training and are fully registered with the Malaysian Medical Council and meet the requirements for permanent appointment.

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the health ministry was committed and would follow up on the matter so that staffing and appointment matters can be managed in an orderly and effective manner.

"The health ministry is also fine-tuning other issues related to contract medical officers, including the feedback collected during the townhall session on Feb 22, 2023.

"This matter will be presented to the high-level committee which was established based on the government's decision on March 31," she said in a statement.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that 12,800 of the 20,330 contractually appointed doctors would be absorbed into permanent positions within three years with an additional allocation of RM1.7 billion.

Zaliha said the government was also studying the extension of the locum allowance to officers in the management and professional groups at the ministry, besides medical officers.

"The health ministry will also continue with contract appointments for the purpose of graduate training (housemanship) which has implications on the increase in the cost of the health ministry's emoluments every year," she said.