PETALING JAYA: More than 9,000 contract doctors in the public healthcare service will be offered permanent positions next year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced when tabling Budget 2027.
Anwar said the government was committed to resolving the long-standing issues faced by contract doctors by the end of next year.
He said the government had offered permanent appointments to more than 15,000 contract doctors since 2023, including 4,000 this year.
“Moving forward, graduates who complete their medical degrees will be immediately offered permanent appointments as medical officers,” he said.
In a separate measure to improve healthcare workers’ welfare, Anwar announced that the basic on-call incentive for 47,000 paramedics and nurses would be increased from RM100 to RM200 a month.
The incentive for the flying doctor service will also be raised from RM30 to RM100.
Anwar acknowledged the importance of the service, particularly in providing medical assistance to communities in remote areas, following a helicopter crash involving the flying doctor service in Long Lellang, Sarawak, last month.
The measures form part of the government’s efforts to strengthen the public healthcare workforce, improve staff welfare and ensure more stable career pathways for medical graduates.
