KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 —The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) has recommended that the Contract Doctors Hartal to fight over issues faced by contract medical officers be discontinued as this could disrupt the country’s public health services which is already in a critical situation.

Its president Adnan Mat said Cuepacs is prepared to be the mediator to solve problems faced by young medical officers over their absorption into government service and it is of the view that contract appointments should not be practiced for civil servants especially those in the essential health service sector.

"With no employment security and career development, young medical officers find it difficult to plan for the future because they have to wait for their contract to be extended all the time,” he said in a statement, today.

Adnan opined that it was improper for an essential sector under the Ministry of Health (MOH) to be subject to the Public Service Size Control Policy and the matter must be reviewed because the services are very much needed for the people and country.

Recently, the hashtag #HartalDoktorKontrak was the trend on Twitter to show solidarity with the plight of contract doctors across Malaysia following claims that contract medical officers would not be absorbed into government service.

Cuepacs also hoped that the government would be able to resolve the problem immediately and would consider giving permanent appointments to contract medical officers who have proven to be competent while the country was experiencing public health emergency.

He said with the yearly increase in Malaysia’s population of around 900,000 to one million people more doctors are needed to treat and run the country’s health facilities. — Bernama