Reward volunteer junior medical officers with permanent posts

LETTER | Irish medical schools are fast-tracking final examinations for final year medical students, some medical schools are waiving final examinations altogether, and some European countries are not even bothering with the formality when medical students are thrust into the front lines to provide the badly needed reinforcements for the over-worked staff currently battling the coronavirus outbreak in Europe.

While some in Europe applaud the moves made by these medical schools, critics have questioned the wisdom of such moves. They maintain that rushing these students to the frontlines before the completion of their formal training not only endanger these students but sooner or later, they will become a liability because their skills have not been fully developed yet. 

It is true that there will be exceptional students who will hit the ground running, but for the majority who are average many fear that they will more of a hindrance than help.

As Europe debates the wisdom of such moves (and the gravity of the situation compel them to make the best of a very bad situation), Malaysia is in a uniquely different situation. 

For now, the number of coronavirus cases have not reached the severity that is currently being experienced in Europe but given the stubbornness of Malaysians and their refusal to self-isolate or even get tested, these halcyon days may not last for long and before long we will be making hard decisions that the Europeans are currently having to make.

All is not lost however because Malaysia, though more by accident than design, instead of having to throw half-baked medical graduates to the frontlines already has a whole cohort of fully-qualified medical doctors who are currently awaiting the opportunity to serve their country. 

The medical faculty of the University of Malaya currently have about 120 medical graduates who have completed their pre-internship and another estimated 120 who have passed their final barrier examinations but have yet to complete their pre-internship, who are waiting to be absorbed into the Health Ministry so that they can start their housemanship. 

Of course, I am not suggesting that we send these new ones to the frontlines, well-trained as they are, but by taking over the duties in the wards, senior officers will be freed-up to tackle this pandemic.

I do not speak for the other universities and their graduates but I can assure you that these graduates have been trained to the very highest standards and will be as welcomed to the places where they will be posted as heavy cavalry coming to relieved a rifle regiment that has been surrounded. 

I, therefore, implore the health minister and the director-general of the ministry to expedite the creation of house officer posts so that these young, idealistic, and energetic foot-soldiers can be sent to where they are needed instead of waiting for the current front liners to succumb to burn-out before we start sending in reinforcements.

On a related note, currently, most of the brunt of the battle against the coronavirus is borne by the hardworking and selfless junior medical officers in the Health Ministry. In fact, many of them were just only house officers a few short months ago and many of them selflessly volunteered to join the team when asked instead of taking advantage of their junior status. 

Their promotion is truly a baptism of fire. No words of gratitude or reward can truly measure up to sacrifices that these young doctors have made for us.

In the days of yore, a forlorn hope were the vanguards of an assault on the enemy’s position, just like the junior medical officers are the vanguards of today’s battle against the coronavirus, and their duties were the most dangerous and difficult. 

It was totally voluntary force, again just like the medical officers of today, and many battles have been won, towns and castles captured because of the bravery of the forlorn hope. 

The Germans rewarded their forlorn hope survivors with double pay, the French with guaranteed promotion to the officer ranks, and the British rewarded theirs with both money and promotion. 

My fellow Malaysians, is it really that hard a decision to reward all who volunteer for this forlorn hope against the coronavirus with a permanent post?

We owe them a debt of gratitude that we can never repay. Is giving them a permanent medical officer post something too much to ask for?

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