No to pleas from doctors posted to rural areas

NST: KOTA KINABALU: The Health Ministry will not entertain all appeals, including through political connections, by newly-graduated doctors from being posted to rural areas or to certain states.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said that if the ministry were to consider all the appeals, it would create a lot of problems including derailing the government’s plan to bridge the doctor-population ratio in certain areas and states.
"As the health minister, I have instructed my officers not to entertain the appeals, including those with political support.
"I’m not saying we’re not going to consider at all but reasons like far away from home are not acceptable.
"Some of the doctors are medical graduates who studied in places like London which is very far away from their home.
"If they’re posted to Kota Kinabalu or Kuching, then it’s nothing compared to London," he said after visiting the Putatan health clinic.
Dr Chua said his ministry would usually receive a lot of appeal letters and phone calls, including from politicians and elected representatives, at the end of May and in early June when doctors are posted to government hospitals nationwide.
"Frankly, to me, giving reasons like taking care of parents is unacceptable. How many people now stay with their parents after they’ve started working?"
He, however, said the ministry would consider appeals for postings to general hospitals from doctors pursuing studies at specialist level and had to undergo training at recognised hospitals.
He said the current doctor-population ratio in Sabah was 1:2,000 while in the peninsula it was 1:1,200.
"Imagine, if we entertain all the appeals, what would happen to rural areas in Sabah, Sarawak, Pahang, Terengganu and even Johor if our doctors do not want to serve there?"
Earlier, in his speech, Dr Chua said a new health clinic would be built in Penampang under a special allocation to replace the existing facility in the district which could not cope with the needs of the increasing population.
Without disclosing the cost, he said the problem over the project site had been settled and construction was expected to start by the year-end.