Frustrated specialists want out

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: After years of medical school acquiring postgraduate degrees, they achieve their dream of becoming specialists. That’s when the bubble bursts.
Promotions are frustratingly slow in coming and they get stuck in the U41 salary scale of housemen, earning between RM1,738 and RM4,107 a month. As specialists, they are supposed to be in U48 with a minimum of RM4,014 and a maximum of RM6,492.
It is therefore not surprising, the Malaysian Medical Association says, that many specialists want to leave.
Their frustration is heightened by the fact that pharmacists, dentists, dieticians, optometrists and medical assistants with degrees are all lumped under U41.
There are over 200 young specialists in government service who have not moved from their medical officer’s grade of U41. The figure is expected to increase to 1,000 in the next two years. Some of them have been stuck for up to 11 years.
MMA president Datuk Dr Teoh Siang Chin said: "We urge the Health Ministry and the Public Service Department to expedite the promotion exercise or the Government will lose these qualified specialists to the private sector."
Under the Sistem Saraan Malaysia, all government officers have to pass the Penilaian Tahap Kecekapan (PTK) before moving to the next salary scale. Previously, a specialist was always placed on a higher scale and the promotion process was smoother as requirements were much less complicated than today.
MMA acting secretary Dr Kuljit Singh said a doctor who had completed three years in government hospitals was eligible to pursue a postgraduate programme locally or abroad.
"Most of them today are trained in local master’s programmes in one of the universities," he said.
By right, he said, a specialist should be promoted to U48 upon recognition but, instead, they were told to sit for the PTK exams.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Ismail Merican said the ministry had proposed that specialists be automatically promoted to U48. But the PSD had placed three conditions, including the PTK exam requirement.
"After discussions, we agreed five months ago to hold more frequent short-term PTK exams for specialists. The ministry is working out the details. I hope the specialists will be patient a little longer."