KUCHING: A task force will be set up to oversee applications for permanent health officer (HO) positions from contract doctors, dentists and pharmacists to ensure transparency.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said this is in line with efforts to enable the HOs to know why they did not get permanent posts and what they need to do to get it.
According to him, the Public Service Department (JPA) has come up with a programme where they will offer 1,500 to 2,000 permanent posts for these officers every year.
“We have an interview process (for the posts) and some people were unhappy about them meeting the qualifications but others getting the permanent posts while they did not.
“So, we will look into the matter to make sure that the process is more transparent by setting up a task force for it,” he said.
He said this in responding to the manpower issue brought up during the Health White Paper (HWP) Development town hall session at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) auditorium yesterday.
He stated that the Ministry of Health (MoH) has approved over 4,000 applications for permanent posts which is the highest number of additional permanent positions since the contract policy started in 2016.
“However, that’s not nearly enough because the number of people who applied for it was 9,000. I can’t give everyone a permanent post.
“One thing that I need to tell you is that I’m a minister who tells you the truth. I’m not going to lie to you. I’m not going to give you false promises. I can’t offer permanent posts to every single HO that comes through our doors anymore. Those days are over,” he said.
Moreover, he said senior doctors have stressed that the MoH must look at the quality of those coming through.
In light of that, he added, he will consider giving permanent posts to potential contract-based medical officers who are endorsed by senior specialists.
“If you have people who you think are star performers, we have to have a way of having our senior specialists say, ‘look, this is somebody who’s a star. I want to train him. I want to make sure he or she becomes the next rock star in neurosurgery, give him a permanent post’ then we will give him a permanent post,” he said.
