Blog
Here we pen our stories about our latest activities and our weekly feature on Humans of Medicine. Our team is forever expanding, if you’re interest in contributing to our blog, feel free to contact us.
“My HO Supervisor Still Never Acknowledged My Mental Illness.”
Medical school was a bliss. I enjoyed learning medicine and hanging out with my friends. I was very cheerful. Once I started as a house officer (HO), everything became so different. Suddenly, I was the front liner of all front liners, the first person to see patients before all the other doctors, the one handling the unimaginable and daunting shifts. Yet I continued to push through each day……
“It Was My Duty as a Rakyat To Serve My Beloved Country.”
Let’s start off with a bit of my background. I was a medical officer in the psychiatric department before the pandemic began. When the second Covid-19 wave settled down, just as I was to return to the psychiatric department after my deployment to the frontlines, there was an exponential increase in the number of cases in Sabah. A new epicentre of the Covid-19 outbreak was in the making, and there was the growing possibility of assistance needed in Sabah……
“Is It Because I Have the Term ‘Contract’ in Front of My Title Instead of ‘Permanent’?”
When I first settled down in a new area, I had to make necessary adjustments just like any other Medical Officer (MO) placed outside their territory. Yet despite being placed 1500km away from home, I was not entitled to “Elaun Gangguan” - an allowance given only to permanent MOs from Peninsular Malaysia who are placed in East Malaysia and vice versa. Why am I not granted the allowance? Is it because I have the word “Contract” in front of my title instead of “Permanent”? I’ve worked as hard as the permanent MOs to graduate from medical school, to complete my housemanship and now to continue my job as a doctor, only to be met with these discouraging hurdles……
“Why Are We Paid Less but Asked to Do So Much More?”
When I was a final year medical student, I gave in to peer pressure and applied for an internship in Australia. I did it half-heartedly, thinking that I wanted to stay in Malaysia and serve the people here. I continued with housemanship, which was relatively bearable, but my commencement as a contract medical officer (MO) made me realise that I had to do something to safeguard my job security……
Clarification on Promotion of Contract Medical and Dental Officers
We refer to the above matter. This is a press statement released by Malaysian Medics International to call for clarification on the recent announcement regarding the promotion of contract medical and dental officers.
A Call to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer
We refer to the above matter. This is a press statement released by Malaysian Medics International to affirms our stand to work with other national stakeholders to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem. We are looking forward to seeing these global commitments are taken forward and implemented in Malaysia.
Clarification of Healthcare Allocations in Budget 2021
We refer to the above matter. This is a press statement released by Malaysian Medics International to advocate for permanent position allocations. We urge the Ministry of Health to clarify the health allocations in Budget 2021.
“Only for a While, Until I’m a Little Skinnier”
When I was eight, I stood behind the changing curtains in ballet school and overheard a group of girls in the advanced class. They were saying one of the girls shouldn’t be dancing since she was so ‘fat’ and ‘chubby’. The small thought that it could be me in her place, with my friends speaking about me that way, nagged at the back of my head. It suddenly became glaringly obvious that my ballet teachers were unusually thin. Ballet wasn’t so fun anymore after that……
A Call to Provide Permanent Positions to All Contract Doctors
We refer to the above matter. This is a press statement released by Malaysian Medics International to advocate for permanent positions for all medical doctors in Budget 2021.