In Petaling Jaya, the Health Ministry has addressed a total of 1,843 appeals concerning the placement and transfer of medical officers. These appeals were received in response to the large-scale appointments of contract medical officers to permanent positions which began last year.
The director-general of the Health Ministry, Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan, stated that the appeals have been thoroughly reviewed and assessed. The Appeals Committee, which consists of representatives from various departments such as Medicine Development, Family Health Development, and Public Health Development, along with the Human Resources Division as the secretary, considered the appeals.
Dr Muhammad Radzi did not disclose the number of appeals that were approved, but he highlighted that appeals with substantial justifications have been accepted. He further explained that the continuity of service as a whole and the vacancy factor were important factors in the decision-making process.
Between June 9 and 24, new placements were made to maintain the smooth functioning of healthcare facilities nationwide. Dr Muhammad Radzi expressed his gratitude towards medical workers, dental officers, and pharmacy officers for promptly reporting to their new positions on July 31.
He emphasized that this reshuffling would provide officers with increased exposure to the healthcare system, enhancing their professional capabilities. The experience gained from this deployment would enable them to mature, develop empathy, and become more resilient civil servants.
The process of appointing contract medical officers to permanent positions on a large scale was initiated last year and has continued into this year. The appointments were made considering the 4,263 permanent job vacancies at healthcare facilities, with particular focus on Sabah, Sarawak, Johor, and Pahang.
As a result of these appointments, the Health Ministry received a total of 1,843 appeals from medical officers either requesting to stay in their current placements or to be transferred to other facilities.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
