Fast promotion scheme for government specialist doctors

Star: Government specialist doctors, who sometimes wait years for promotion, can now look forward to a shorter waiting period under a fast-track scheme introduced by the Health Ministry.
Its director-general Datuk Dr Ismail Merican said they would not have to wait to sit for the Penilaian Tahap Kecekapan or Efficiency Level Assessment (PTK) to get promoted but would be put under the U44 grade upon passing their Master's or post-graduate examinations and, subsequently, the U48 grade after being gazetted as a specialist.
“Promotions from the time they get their specialist qualification can be cut down from many years to just a few months. Currently, they do not get an automatic promotion. And there are many specialists who are still at U41.
“There has always been the frustration amongst specialists that they have to pass their PTK before being considered for promotion,” he told The Star yesterday.
He said that, in addition to this, PTK courses were only conducted at specific times of the year and if a doctor missed one he would have to wait for the next course.
“Often there is a queue for these courses. There are so many doctors involved. We have started it already,” he said.
The ministry was working closely with the Public Services Department on this matter, he said, adding however that there could be a delay because of the large number of eligible specialists involved.
The gazetting period for specialists depends on where the doctors pursued their specialist course.
A Master's course pursued locally takes six months while post-graduate qualifications overseas takes 18 months.
The ministry, he added, had also decided that public health sector doctors would only have to sit for the administrative, leadership and managerial components of the PTK and earn “points” by taking part in a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme.
He said that besides having their technical competence reflected in the CPD activities, it would also shorten the period the doctors were away from work. The move was to have healthcare providers keeping abreast of the latest developments besides protecting the public and profession.
Dr Ismail said the number of “points” awarded would be according to the kind of CPD activity the doctors engaged in, including writing in journals and giving lectures, and would be determined by the relevant healthcare provider group.
A pilot project involving doctors, pharmacists and dental officers will be launched next year and will eventually be extended to all healthcare providers.