Stop probe against doctors involved in Code Black and Black Monday campaigns, MCA urges cops

PETALING JAYA: MCA has urged the police to stop investigating doctors involved in the Code Black and Black Monday campaigns.

MCA spokesperson Chan Quin Er said that beyond the constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression as advocated by Bersih 2.0, she said there were two issues at the crux of the matter - equal benefits for all government contract medical officers and transparency in selection for permanent service intake.

“Government MOs on contractual service should be granted the same benefits as their permanent counterparts. Irrespective if the MOs are on contract or permanent service, they shoulder the same responsibilities, risks and workload in caring for their patients,” she said in a statement on Wednesday (July 14).

She said that the contract MOs in the civil service hope that the Health Ministry would address their anxieties over the uncertainties in their future once their contracts are completed and not extended.

“We appeal to MOH to be transparent on the criteria and conditions in the selection process for contract MOs to be given a permanent position,” she said.She said that as fellow frontliners in the war against Covid-19, the police will be able to identify and relate with doctors on the risks and pressure involved in their day-to-day jobs safeguarding the health, security and wellbeing of society.

She noted that in the past fortnight, government hospitals are unusually overflowing with patients with admissions of new Covid-19 patients daily while usage of Covid-19 ICU beds has exceeded 100% capacity.

“Adding to this distress, a shortage of government hospital beds has resulted with even car-parks of government hospitals being converted into wards. These scenarios indicate that the ratio of patients per MO has soared,” she said,

Chan said that as all overstretched MOs, other government hospital staffers and the public health system endure tremendous pressure now, more than ever, and Malaysians need to motivate them.

“Any police probe in the Code Black and Black Monday campaigns will only leave an undesired, opposite effect, much to the detriment of the hospital personnel, our public health system and patients at large.

“Private doctors, civilians and netizens empathise with the plight of contract MOs. Hence, policy empathy is needed, not suspicion,” she said.

MMA president Prof Datuk Dr M. Subramaniam had said it received information that many of its doctors who supported the Code Black and Black Monday campaigns by the MMA are being investigated by police officers.