PETALING JAYA: Doctors’ groups are urging immediate action to curb the exodus of junior doctors from the public healthcare system.
According to Hartal Doktor Kontrak, many junior doctors have quit government service while some are contemplating doing so.
Its spokesman, Dr Muhammad Yassin, said some were venturing into other fields or leaving the Health Ministry to go into private practice.
“This situation has further accelerated with the contract issues as many young doctors feel there is no job security. So, they seek other job opportunities that are more stable and have better terms of service.
“This situation puts the ministry in a more difficult situation as patient loads are increasing day by day, yet many doctors are leaving, and there are not enough new doctors to replace those who have left.
“Immediate action must be taken along with a long-term solution to mitigate this situation,” he added.
He said junior doctors should also think thoroughly about their future, adding, however, that if the uncertainty was causing them a lot of stress and uneasiness, then leaving would not be a bad option.
This was especially true, according to Dr Muhammad, if they knew what they would be doing after leaving the ministry.
He said while some contract medical offers had already been offered permanent postings, the odds would be slimmer next year as there were only about 1,500 slots available.
“Many of them have resigned and left the service, and many more are contemplating making similar decisions,” he said.
On doctors switching careers, Dr Mustapha Kamal A. Aziz, who is also from the group, said doctors still needed to have a rice bowl even if they had left the service.
“In the beginning, when we organised the Hartal, we told the government that it was not about us, the doctors, but more about the people.
“I think it is the government’s loss. Even if we don’t stay as doctors, we still need to earn a living and sustain ourselves for our own future,” he said.
Dr Mustapha said that the policies need to be looked at again because the government might be limited in how it can solve the problem.
