Around 10,000 to 12,000 contract doctors in Malaysia are expected to go on strike to protest and demand job security and equal treatment, among others, from today until Apr. 5.
The protest, organised by Mogok Doktor Malaysia, is expected to see doctors take emergency and medical leave for three days in protest.
Contract doctors are demanding better job security and more permanent positions in the public healthcare system. Many contract doctors have been working on short-term contracts, which can be terminated at any time, leading to uncertainty about their future employment.
There have also been claims that they are not being treated equally compared to their permanent counterparts. They argue that they are being paid significantly less and do not receive the same benefits and opportunities for career advancement.
“To support our movement, change your profile pictures to black or monochrome. For non-contract doctors, please go to work wearing black,” the movement wrote in a social media post on Sunday (April 2).
When contacted by The Star, a spokesman of the group, who only wanted to be known as Dr. Jamal, warned that the public healthcare system may collapse.
“We expect to paralyse the public healthcare system from tomorrow onwards, and to encourage more and more medical officers to resign from the Health Ministry,” he said.
He said the sections that will be most affected are the emergency department, labour room, outpatient department and health clinics, which have a high number of contract medical officers.
The group also claimed there could be some 3,000 resignations in the month of April.
Some hospitals have reportedly banned doctors from taking leave and issued warnings against participating in the strike.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr. Zaliha Mustafa said the ministry’s officials had been asked to monitor if the strike would go on as planned.
“As part of our contingency plan, state health directors and hospital directors have been asked to be on alert,” she said.
Dr. Zaliha said hospital and clinic operations would not be affected if the strike took place.
“We will ensure no disruptions to the operations of the ministry’s health facilities, with health services provided to the people,” she told the New Straits Times.
Dr Zaliha said she recognised the group’s plight but disagreed that going on strike would be the best course of action.
She continued by saying that the ministry had sent out reminders against the strike via a circular from the director-general of the Public Service Department.
The integrity and proper conduct of the civil servants would be expected of those who join the strike, she added.
She stated that she would need time to address the issues with the contract doctors, but no one should doubt her commitment.
In 2021, the Malaysian Medical Association’s Section Concerning House Officers, Medical Officers, and Specialists (Schomos) launched a similar campaign called Code Black in response to what was perceived as an unfair contract MO system.
However, this was purely a social media campaign with no demonstrations.
In the same year, another group called Hartal Doktor Kontrak staged a nationwide walkout on Jul, 26.
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