KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has received approval for a total of 10,675 new posts in phases through trade-offs to meet the needs of tackling the COVID-19 pandemic for 2020 and 2021.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said following the implementation of the rightsizing policy in the civil service since 2015, permanent posts would no longer be considered unless they were implemented through trade-offs.

Adham said this when officiating the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and Section Concerning House Officers, Medical Officers and Specialists (SHCOMOS) 2021 virtual forum here, today.

He said MOH now has 252,911 permanent staff and more than 40,000 contract staff covering various service schemes with some appointed to meet the requirements of graduate training and compulsory service, while others to meet the need to curb the COVID-19 outbreak.

Dr Adham said MOH spent more than RM17 billion or 63 per cent of the ministry's annual operating expenditure on the payment of salaries to health workers, which is higher compared to other countries in the world, adding that this did not include other allowances such as overtime pay and allowances for official duties.

"For example, out of the 18 countries surveyed in Europe, the average total salary payable in those countries is around 42.3 per cent of the approved health budget, while out of the 64 countries in the world, the average salary payable is around 42.2 per cent," he said.

Therefore, he urged all quarters to understand the constraints the ministry is facing in terms of creating additional posts and financial allocation as other ministries also need human resources and allocations from the government.

Dr Adham said MOH would apply for additional permanent posts from time to time, adding that the ministry also planned to apply a longer contract period for its staff.

In the meantime, Dr Adham said the Finance Ministry had agreed to extend the contract period for medical, dental and pharmacy officers whose contracts would expire middle of this year and offers would be made to the relevant officers by the ministry.

-- BERNAMA