Make contract health workers permanent to tackle Covid-19, Tok Mat tells govt

PETALING JAYA: Umno Deputy President Mohamad Hasan urged the government to incorporate contract health staff into the public health system to better prepare the nation for the possibility of a Covid-19 pandemic lasting a few more years.

Mohamad said Malaysia must plan for this phenomenon and improve the current public health system, citing some global experts who have said developed or third-world countries could not achieve the vaccination ability to tackle the pandemic until 2024.

“New appointments must be created immediately. It is hoped that the application for additional posts submitted in October 2020 has been approved and filled out.

“Contract and part-time health workers who are currently serving should be offered permanent positions at an immediate rate,” he urged.

He proposed that the Ministry of Health accept new permanent jobs for contract staff and part-time health workers who were roped in to help handle the pandemic last October.

Mohamad, or Tok Mat to many, was referring to some 1,200 people who were approved by the Public Service Commission last October to start working as health workers on a contract service basis.

They included nurses, physician assistants, assistant officers for environmental health and medical laboratory technologists.

“Contract and part-time health workers working at this time should be offered permanent positions immediately. They have worked during a difficult period and their experience as frontliners is very valuable to strengthen our public health system.

“These workers have carried out their patriotic duties to the country with great sacrifice, even without the promise of a permanent job position,” he said in a statement.

Mohamad said this was because larger countries and economies were consolidating the supply of vaccines due to “vaccine nationalism,” speculating that certain countries will combat Covid-19 until 2024 or beyond. “As a result, there were many countries who have yet to receive the vaccines,” he said.