The Star: Promotions for 9,698 doctors, dentists and pharmacists

Promotions for 9,698 doctors, dentists and pharmacists

The Star, Saturday March 13, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR: Nearly 10,000 health officers, including specialist doctors, dentists and pharmacists, have been promoted and will be getting anything between RM900 and RM1,800 more depending on the grade they have been moved to.

A total of 2,554 doctors who were previously under Grade UD44 have been promoted to higher grades ranging from UD48 to UD54 last Tuesday - the day Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the comprehensive career advancement plan for the three services under the Health Ministry.

Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan said from a total of 9,698 health officers promoted, 8,521 were clinical/administrative medical officers, 650 were dentists and 527 were pharmacists.

“For a start, 2,554 doctors who were on grade UD44 have been promoted to higher grades ranging from UD48 to UD54 effective Tuesday,” he said in a Bernama report yesterday.

“The promotion of medical officers and all eligible dental and pharmaceutical officers will be implemented in stages based on this career advancement plan,” he said.

He said the medical officers concerned could check the plan via the ministry’s website at www.moh.gov.my.

He said the Government’s decision was in recognition of the contributions of the medical officers in raising the country’s health service level, and to motivate them to continue providing quality service as well as to maintain their interest to serve longer in the public sector.

Health officers under grade UD44 will now receive RM3,358.68, up from RM3,028.90, while those promoted from UD44 to UD48 will now get RM4,871.25 from their old scale of RM4,431.54, while those under grade UD52 will get RM5,465.42 from RM4,492.31.

Those under the highest grade, UD54, will get RM5,722.85 from RM5,258.09.

Meanwhile, SHAUN HO reports, Cuepacs president Omar Osman as saying that the pay review was timely and hoped that similar wage reviews could be applied to other civil servants with particular skills.

“Professors and lecturers should also receive new wages. This would be in line in the Prime Minister’s call for citizens to be innovative and creative,” he added.