Senator calls for autonomy for S’wak healthcare

SIBU: Sarawak needs to have autonomy on healthcare to overcome the predicament and dilemma faced by medical officers (MOs), says senator Robert Lau Hui Yew.

At present, not many Sarawak MOs working on six-month contracts were given permanent posts by the Health Ministry, he said.

“As the state currently does not have autonomy on health matters, we are always getting the raw end of the situation,” he said.

“There are permanent positions for MOs in the state but Sarawak MOs can’t get them as the decision on the appointment is not made by the state but by Putrajaya,” he told a press conference yesterday to highlight the issue of MOs not being given permanent positions.

Yet, he noted that some MOs from Peninsular Malaysia given permanent posts did not want to work in Sarawak when posted to the state.

“Our MOs want to be given permanent posts but they can’t get them. So I will push on this issue when the senate meets,” said Lau, who is Bawang Assan SUPP chairman.

Dewan Negara is scheduled to sit from Sept 2 to Sept 23.

SUPP education bureau chairman Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing, who was also at the press conference, noted that 100 permanent MO posts were created for Sarawak hospitals from December 2019 to February this year by the Health Ministry and the Public Services Commission.

However, fewer than 10% of these permanent posts were offered to Sarawak MOs, he claimed.

He also alleged that vacant postings that arose when 30 MOs from

Peninsular Malaysia declined to serve in Sarawak despite being given permanent posts were not offered to Sarawak MOs.

“Instead, they were offered subsequently to MOs from Peninsular Malaysia,” he said.

Ding also said that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had voiced his support for four Sarawak MOs be given permanent posts.

The bureau could only supply four names to the chief minister as they were the only ones who had sought help, he said.

“This is the first time the parents asked for help from the chief minister. I am happy that the chief minister had on Aug 3 wrote a letter to Deputy Health Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagan expressing his support for the four MOs be given permanent posts,” he said.

The bureau is confident that with the recommendation of the chief minister, the plight of the MOs would be given due consideration.

Ding urged Sarawakian MOs on contracts, who have partly passed the postgraduate course and are facing discontinuation of their contracts, to talk to the bureau.