Perks raised to 50pc for Sabah docs

Daily Express: Kota Kinabalu: The Health Ministry has acceded to the Malaysian Medical Association's (MMA) request for an increase in the critical allowance from 10 per cent to 50 per cent for all doctors serving in East Malaysia.
The critical allowance, also called hardship allowance, is for both local doctors and their counterparts from the peninsula.
President-elect of MMA, Dato' Dr Khoo Kah Lin, disclosed this when officiating the 23rd Installation and Annual Dinner of MMA Sabah branch at Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort (Star), Saturday.
"Previously, the doctors were only given 10 per cent critical allowance following numerous requests from doctors working in East Malaysia. "But now, the Ministry has agreed to a 50 per cent such allowance," he said.
Dr Khoo said the Ministry has been very kind in deploying its officers to gauge the feelings on the ground. The Ministry has a Human Resource Division to look after the welfare of doctors.
"Sometimes, the Director-General, Permanent Secretary and other people at the top level may not understand the difficulties faced at the lower rung. We are happy to note that the officers have responded positively to the needs of doctors serving in Sabah and Sarawak."
He, however, clarified that once a peninsular doctor goes back to West Malaysia, the doctor is no longer entitled to the critical allowance.
"So long as the doctor is working in East Malaysia, the doctor must be given the allowance, and that was totally agreed to by the Ministry."
On locum work (in the private sector) carried out by government doctors, Dr Khoo said the doctors concerned need not write to the MOH.
"All they need to do is contact the Head of Department for the permission required. That is another problem sorted out."
Touching on the National Health Financing Act, he said experts had come in from Australia to study the health situation generally and how much money can be used before recommending several models to the Government.
These include the United Kingdom Model, Australian Model and Singapore Model. "Like any Model, there will be benefits as well as flaws." Meanwhile, Dr Khoo said MMA is in the process of making some changes to the Medical Act 1981.
"I hope to get some feedback from doctors in the country during my term of office next year. They can convey their 'feelings' about the proposed changes, which we will pass to the respective branch chairmen."
He concurred with MMA Sabah Branch Chairman, Dr J.S. Sidhu that challenges would become easier to surmount if doctors have the strength and strength comes from numbers.
"Numbers are strength, and since we are the biggest body representing all doctors, both in the Government and private sector, the Ministry is quite willing to listen to us, and do call us up on important issues.
"Being a strong body of several thousand doctors, they do pay some attention to us. The only thing you (Sabah branch) can do is to improve our numbers. With the numbers and the strength, we are able to negotiate," he pointed out.