Black Monday: No strikes so far, says Malaysian Medical Association

PETALING JAYA: No strikes by contract doctors have been reported so far on Monday (April 3) afternoon, says the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).

“So far, checks made by the Malaysian Medical Association today revealed that there is no strike taking place at any of the public healthcare facilities throughout the country.

“However, the issue of public fear needs to be addressed,” said the association’s president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai in a statement on Monday.

Dr Muruga Raj said the association has been receiving calls from the public asking if healthcare facilities are operating as usual following reports of a planned contract doctors' strike from April 3 to 5.

He also assured the public that public healthcare facilities were functioning normally.

The strike's organiser, Mogok Doktor Malaysia had urged the public to avoid these facilities on the days of the strike.

MMA hoped that the Health Ministry would allay these fears and reassure the public that all healthcare services were being provided without any disruption by issuing statements and giving social media updates.

“Messages on the issue are causing panic and fear being spread on social media. This too needs to be countered with the right messaging from the authorities.

“We advise the public to verify information they receive and only trust reliable and credible sources for any news or update,” he added.

Checks by The Star at hospitals in the Klang Valley, Penang and Ipoh showed that everything was smooth and there were no disruptions in service.

The Mogok Doktor Malaysia’s strike is expected to see doctors taking emergency and medical leaves for the three-day period in a show of protest.