Include a doctor from HDK as a member of the high level committee, Health Ministry urged

SHAH ALAM - Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa has been urged to include a doctor from the Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) group as a member of the High Level Committee to represent contract doctors in the nation.

HDK said without representatives from the right parties the committee's efforts in solving the contract doctor issues will not have any impact.

"Dr Zaliha recently spoke with the High Level Committee to discuss the fate of contract doctors, we believe it is the correct step to be taken as it involved several ministries to speed up the discussion and progress.

"The next step is to establish a national healthcare commission to oversee, decide and improve our nation's healthcare services.

"We will work with Dr Zaliha and other ministers to hasten the process," it said in a statement on Monday.

Dr Zaliha on Saturday said the Cabinet agreed to establish a High Level Committee involving several ministries and agencies to overcome the contract doctor issues.

She said the formation of the committee would be done before the strike to be launched by a group of contract doctors in the public health sector.

Hartal Doktor Kontrak was not involved in the three-day strike but agreed with the contract doctors rights to voice out and protest.

"Even though we are not involved we believe it is their right to protest and we will leave it to them

"We hope patient care is not affected and healthcare services can continue after the protests finish.

"Based on new events we want to repeat that we are not involved and have no influence directly or indirectly to the contract doctor strike held today," he said.