Grade 56 between Grade 54 and Jusa C introduced for medical and dental specialists.
Nearly 2,600 doctors without housemanship will now serve on contract.
KUALA LUMPUR: The introduction of Grade 56 between Grade 54 and Jusa C for medical and dental specialists drew mixed reactions from doctors.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday announced that Grade 56 would be introduced to address the issue of specialists exiting the service and delays in promotion.
Najib said nearly 2,600 doctors who had not finished their housemanship would now serve the government on contract.
He said the appointment of the first group of doctors, dentists and pharmacists on contract would be done by December this year due to constraints in permanent posts.
Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) secretary Dr Koh Kar Chai said taking on doctors on a contract basis would ensure new graduates were employed and received the required experience to mould them into health care professionals.
“But what is not addressed is what will happen after they have served their contracts,” he said.
Former MMA president Datuk Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan shared Koh’s opinion, saying that doctors who were hired on contract basis faced uncertainty.
“The introduction of Grade 56 is not welcomed by government doctors. At the moment, it takes 10 years for them to achieve Jusa C from Grade 54.
“By introducing Grade 56, will it mean that doctors would have to wait another 10 years to get from Grade 56 to Jusa C?
“The ministry has to spell out the system transparently and accurately and it is also uncertain whether the doctors will have to re-apply for housemanship after they have completed the four-year contract.”
Koh and Tharmaseelan appreciated the RM25 billion allocation to enhance the quality of healthcare in the country.
However, they said RM4.5 billion for the operation of 1Malaysia Clinics, 1Malaysia Mobile Clinics, health clinics and rural clinics could be allocated for other use.
“We had hoped thaty an amount would have been allocated to the private sector’s primary care to allow public private partnership in the provision of crucial primary health care to the rakyat,” Koh said.
Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said it was a
positive budget, taking into account the economy.
“The ministry will continue to optimise the resources and budget given, be prudent in spending and cut wastage to be more cost effective and efficient to provide better quality health care to the people.
“It’s better than last year’s allocation.”
On the housemanship on contract basis, he said it would be a temporary position, for a maximum of four years.
“Once they have fulfilled all criteria, they can be absorbed to permanent positions, taking into account their service.
“Four years will give them enough time to complete the compulsory service,” he said.