The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) notes the health minister’s announcement that approximately 63 per cent of medical officers (MOs) offered permanent placements in Sabah and Sarawak have reported for duty.
While we welcome the reported progress, feedback received from our Sabah branch suggests that the figures may not reflect the actual staffing situation on the ground.
Several hospital departments are reportedly experiencing a net reduction in MOs, while some doctors are having to undertake more on-call duties each month, including every-other-day (EOD) calls (on call every alternate day). Public health care doctors work continuously for 33 hours when put on on-call duty.
This raises an important question: are the reported placements translating into an actual increase in doctors serving at health care facilities where they are most needed?
