In the NST ,

Consider plight of doctors in government service MUCH has been said about waiting time and the shortage of doctors in government hospitals. As a doctor for almost 10 years, let me highlight some of the problems that doctors face in government service. It is sad that very few steps are taken to improve the working conditions and the pay scheme of doctors after all these years. A newly- graduated doctor's salary is about RM2,600, which is rather good as a starting pay, but after that there is only a yearly increment of about RM90, which is nothing much. This means that a doctor with 10 years' working experience will be earning about RM3,500. The same doctor will be able to earn RM10,000 to RM15,000 as a general practitioner. There is a promotion after eight years as promised by the Health Ministry, but how many doctors are going to wait that long? Anyway I am still waiting for mine. Call allowances for doctors, either senior or junior, are comparable to a cashier's in KFC, which is RM1.61 and RM1.04 per hour on weekdays and weekends for house officers; RM4.84 and RM4.70 per hour on weekdays and weekends for medical officers; and RM2.90 and RM2.83 per hour on weekdays and weekends for specialists on call. Food can be so bad that doctors often don't have a proper meal during the on-call days or even a drink sometimes. Patients' meals are sometimes better than the meals for doctors! The reason for the poor quality of food was that there was no allocation for food for doctors and that the money came from the food budget for patients. Housing allowance for doctors is RM160, which is about enough to get a small room in places like Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru, or maybe just the toilet only. Housing allowances have to be increased for doctors working in bigger towns. Parking is a major problem in big hospitals. Doctors in hospitals don't have a place to park their cars and sometimes have to spend time looking for a parking space, but the clerks in the office all have parking spaces allocated to them. The new SSM (Malaysia Remuneration System) is good for doctors who will be able to get their promotion after sitting for examinations, but there are drawbacks. If all the doctors are going to sit for examinations at the same time, who will manage the wards? Not sitting for examinations or not passing them (passing mark is 80 per cent) means no promotion. Is the Health Ministry serious about resolving these problems? I don't think so, considering that these problems existed 10 years ago when I first started service and is still prevalent today. Dr R.V.M. Kuala Lumpur

This letter clearly portrays the current state of government doctors in Malaysia. The pay is low but at the same time is expected to perform miracles. Doctors have been shortchanged by the Government for a long time now. However, the dedication of government doctors have kept them working in the harshest of conditions in Malaysia.

We are losing doctors to the private sector at an alarming rate. Top and experienced doctors are being lured into a more lucrative environment. Despite this, the Government is doing little to stem the tide. They confess that they cannot offer huge salaries to doctors. Little do they know that most doctors who leave government service , do so not due to monetary reasons. Reasons like poor working environment , lack of opportunities and unappreciated work have been the main factors in the doctor's decision to leave government service.

Promotions are also inconsistent and non transparent. Under the SSM scheme, passing the "tahap kecekapan" examinations do not always guarantee a promotion. There are many " behing the scenes" ongoings that may decide the outcome of a promotional exercise. Criterias for such promotions are usually shrouded in secrecy.

Doctors earn less per hour as compared to many other occupations. Long tiring hours are not rewarded adequately. On top of that, doctors in government service are rarely appreciated even by top managers at the Ministry of Health.

It is sad that clerks get certain perks that doctors don't. It boggles the mind. It defies sensible reasoning. It smacks of utter disrespect for the profession.

Now that the Government has uttered its aim of reducing waiting time, doctors have to work doubly hard. Man power shortage is still evident. The fact remains that 1 + 1 = 2 NOT 3. TO reduce waiting time, doctors have to rush their consultations. This may lead to probable substandard care afforded to the patients. Hiring foreign doctors is not the answer. Their performances on many occasions have been questionable.

Perhaps , I should have been a teacher! ;)