Wither the predicament of 'floating' medical officers?

LETTER | It has been a nail-biting 10 months for many, if not all, of the contract medical officers currently serving as “floating” medical officers. Despite the long wait, there is not a whiff of information regarding the fate of many careers. Amid the well-articulated pathway to establishing a medical career, why should this period of stunted growth occur? Before we move on, let us gather the facts we have so far:

1. The first batch of contracted house officers began and completed their tenure in December of 2016 and 2018, respectively.

2. These pioneers of “floating” medical officers were not told of the duration of their “floating”. When asked, vague information was all they received in reply. A mission to seek out answers had evolved into rumours.

3. The second and third batch of contracted house officers then joined the fray of their “floating” seniors, and still, no concrete answer was given with regards to the duration of their “floating”.

4. In June 2019 (seven months after the pioneer batch had begun floating), some "floating" medical officers from the December 2018 batch were notified about their status within the civil service - around 500 were absorbed into the civil service as permanent medical officers while another 50 became contract medical officers

5. Since then, there have not been any updates concerning the next announcement. Numerous enquiries were made to no avail.

6. Contract medical officers, including those who are “floating”, are not eligible to apply for the Hadiah Latihan Persekutuan, a requirement necessary in the pursuit of specialisation through the local masters’ programme.

7. Leave application would also be disrupted as many are unsure when will the next assignment would occur, with many worried about the rejected leave applications by their subsequently assigned hospitals. Contracted and "floating" medical officers are not allowed to utilise special leave for examination preparations and would have to use their annual leave (only 25 days per year) to study and/or to travel to the examination venue which is often out of state or overseas.

8. Contracted and “floating” medical officers may not apply for bank loans, due to their uncertain financial status.

9. Even though they have become “medical officers” and are trained to be as fully functional as their forebears, the contracted and the “floating” are still paid a house officer’s salary without the usual pay increment and benefits that permanently-appointed civil servants enjoy.

10. Subsequently, many have put their milestones on hold such as marriage, children and even purchase of a property.

11. Rental leases also become an issue as many are unsure whether to renew the lease in advance, as no definite announcements have been made regarding the next assignment.

A lack of transparency paints the picture of an ineffective and inefficient administrative system. Hard questions were asked, only to be met with a stony wall of silence.

The million-dollar question remains - how long more would these “floating” medical officers need to stay adrift in the endless ocean of ambiguity?

Is the system that determines who gets permanent placement, and the rest remain contracted, failproof? How does the governing body decide who gets to be promoted to permanent status, or remain as a contracted staff?

How were the approximately 600 floating medical officers, who got to learn about their contract status in June 2019, chosen out of the 1,000 individuals from the same intake? What vetting system was used and is it as effective as it was conceived back then?

As the blame game between government and non-government agencies continue, the group in question is in the dark when it comes to their futures. There is no guarantee of a permanent placement despite sleepless sacrifices or exhausting schedules endured during housemanship. 

Moreover, if the label “contract” remains, they are deprived of civil servant benefits, salary increments, and yet, are expected to be in solid support of the healthcare hierarchy. How long could anyone endure the uncertainty without a say in the matter or a concrete decision from the authorities?

Malaysia aims to be an advanced nation by 2020, and the health ministry wishes to achieve a doctor population ratio of 1:400 by then. Unless the elephant in the room is addressed by the governing bodies, many doctors will eventually seek greener pastures elsewhere, and once again, the country would find itself in a familiar, dreaded situation of severe loss of talents.

It is time to put flying rumours and equivocal news to rest. The Ministry of Health and the Malaysian Medical Council will need to establish a stable system for the seamless progression of contracted house and medical officers if they mean to achieve their doctor population goal and provide the citizens with continuous quality healthcare, without jeopardising the very people that fall under their authority.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.