KUCHING, Aug 4 ― The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) extends its thanks to the Ministry of Health (MoH) for granting approval to transfer appeals for 332 medical officers.

In a statement, MMA president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai said that the ministry’s understanding of the challenges faced by these doctors was sincerely acknowledged.

This comes after MoH had approved appeals for transfer for 332 medical officers throughout the country, according to Malay Mail on July 29.

According to Malay Mail, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa revealed that various appeals were taken into account. These included requests from medical officers seeking specialisation studies in their fields, individuals facing serious family problems, and others citing security concerns.

"The appeals were approved on June 27 and July 24 after reviewing appeals from 1,843 of the 4,155 medical officers who were offered permanent positions,” she said.

The medical officers were required to report for duty on July 31.

Expressing gratitude to MoH, Dr Muruga hopes that as the 4,155 medical officers who were given permanent posts begin a new chapter of their careers, steps will also be taken to improve the e-House Officer (eHO) system for smooth implementation of medical officer placements in the future.

In addition to that, Dr Muruga also urged MoH to consider the MMA’s proposal of staggered placements (by cohorts) in the future in order to minimise the impact on health care services as a result of thousands of medical officers leaving for their placements in other states.

He also hoped that financial assistance needed for medical officers relocating will be looked into, as well as allowances to be reviewed accordingly.

This is due to costs of living, including the cost of transportation, that have gone up which should be taken into consideration. ― Borneo Post