KUALA LUMPUR: Doctors and healthcare workers on contract at government hospitals nationwide have been beseeched not to abandon their posts and duty to their patients by taking part in tomorrow's "Hartal Doktor Kontrak" walkout.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah called upon them to remember the oath when taking up their profession - "primum non nocere" - first do no harm or injustice to patients.
"To our junior colleagues on contract post, I urge all of you, please do not join the demonstration and abandon your duty to your patients.
"Remember many lives are on the line and the demonstration could affect their lives and even your career," he said in a Facebook post.
Dr Noor Hisham said while the Health ministry and the government understood that contractual doctors and healthcare workers wish to continue serving in a permanent post, the Government currently has announced a two year extension of the contract position.
"This is to give time for the amendment to be made to the Pension Act so that permanent positions can be allowed to be employed with EPF (Employee Provident Fund) i.e. without pension option."
He said, in the meantime, the Government will allow those in contract positions to continue their masters and will offer the permanent EPF position once it is made available.
"I wish to remind all that patient's safety is our priority. Remember the oath we took sincerely and be there for your patients at the time when they and the country need you the most.
"We are the last bastion of defence to make a difference to our patients and every life matters," he said.
Dr Noor Hisham was commenting on the scheduled "Hartal Doktor Kontrak" walkout on Monday, which will see between 4,000 and 5,000 government contract doctors staging a walkout at major hospitals nationwide, from 11 am onwards and will not return to work the rest of the day.
Campaign representative Dr Umar Baraka assured that the walkout will be done after the contract doctors had handed over their tasks to their permanent colleagues, without jeopardising patients' care.
On Friday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the Cabinet had agreed to appoint medical officers, dental officers and pharmacists on a contract basis for two years once they have completed their compulsory service.
"Hartal Doktor Kontrak" however, said while the government had acknowledged the problem, it had only come up with "rather short-sighted" solutions that did not address the real issues.