AUGUST , 2021 | THE HEALTH
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| The Health says ... |
Look into issues promptly
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Tapping the Korean market Global prospects for halal industry highly regarded by both the Korean government and business community
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Controlling the dengue menace The complexity of dengue pathogenesis has contributed to the difficulty in searching for dengue antivirals
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Let ’ s try to do it right The process of writing recommendation letters has legal consequences and ramifications in a variety of fields
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Severe Covid-19 leads to sepsis ! Those who develop sepsis will need ICU close monitoring to prevent it developing into Covid-19 septic shock
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Is spirituality relevant in addressing mental health issues ? Various religions consider man as not merely as an advanced primate , but a being of spiritual origin or nature
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Can we end this pandemic ? While it is difficult for us to control the virus mutation , we can control our own behaviour and movement
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Looking for the wonder drug Countries that have succeeded in reducing the rate of deaths should be seen as a prime example of the use of relevant drugs to achieve it
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Option of barter transactions in healthcare Communities can be seen reverting to more conventional forms of trade , discarding use of fiat money
All that the 23,000 contract doctors in the country want are employment terms that are long-term , holistic , sustainable and fair . Surely , this is not too difficult for the government to comprehend .
On July 26 , hundreds of contract doctors from public hospitals nationwide staged a protest showing dissatisfaction with their inferior employment contract terms .
To put the protest in perspective , the doctors ensured they had handed over their shifts first , made only a brief walkout at some hospitals and returned to their duties soon after so as not to disrupt ongoing patient treatment .
To be sure , the unhappiness among the young doctors has been festering for some time , and the authorities should have addressed them early . Trying to address it now with a temporary solution seems patchy at best .
These young doctors rose to their tasks of helping the country fight the raging Covid-19 pandemic . Like most other frontliners , they are overworked , exhausted and mentally drained .
It is not surprising that many are quitting as they can ’ t take the immense work pressure and marathon working hours anymore . Moreover , they are carrying out the same workload as noncontract doctors but with lesser benefits .
The response of the government to the plight of the contract doctors could undoubtedly have been better . And the uncalled-for comments by some don ’ t help .
Selangor Health Director Datuk Shaari Ngadiman seemed to make light of the doctors ’ resignations by saying they might prefer to work in vaccination centres for more pay or opt to become photographers or computer shop assistants .
The government should come up with a longterm solution for contract doctors . The current system was introduced in 2016 . To date , the doctors ’ pleas for a better deal have fallen on deaf ears .
As a temporary measure , the government has agreed to extend their contracts by another two years to ensure they can progress to become medical specialists . There will also be an upgrading of benefits .
The government is also working on finalising a reform of the health system . It is looking at the existing Medical Act 1971 to form a long-term plan for the medical profession .
But as they say , better late than never . But let this whole issue be a lesson to the relevant authorities who should have resolved contentious matters promptly .