Don’t leave contract dentists behind after Budget 2027 doctor absorption, urges MDA

The Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) has called on the federal government and Ministry of Health to provide contract dental officers with the same permanent absorption opportunities as medical doctors and pharmacists, highlighting a potential brain drain as trained dentists leave the public sector due to lapsed contracts.

Despite Health Minister assurances for pharmacists and ongoing permanent appointments for doctors, the MDA emphasized the importance of equitable treatment for all healthcare professionals to ensure the sustainability and accessibility of public oral healthcare.

The association advocates for a reassessment of contract dental officers' status, sustainable human-resource strategies, and collaboration with relevant authorities to retain dental talent within the public sector.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — The Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) has urged the federal government and the Ministry of Health (MOH) to grant contract dental officers the same absorption opportunities as medical doctors and pharmacists, warning that trained dentists are being forced out of the public sector after their contracts lapsed without extension.

In a statement today, MDA president Dr Chong Zhen Feng said the association welcomed the government’s commitment to reinforcing the public healthcare workforce, particularly the permanent appointment drive announced under Budget 2027.

While tabling the national budget in the Dewan Rakyat on Friday, Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that over 9,000 contract doctors will receive permanent posts in public healthcare facilities next year.

Anwar noted that more than 15,000 contract doctors have secured permanent employment since 2023, adding that medical graduates completing their housemanship will now transition directly into permanent medical officer positions.

The association also highlighted recent assurances by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad that the ministry is actively expediting permanent appointments for contract pharmacists.

“In this regard, MDA respectfully calls upon the Government and MOH to accord similar consideration to contract dental officers, whose contributions to the nation’s public healthcare system are equally important,” the association said.

Expired contracts and public sector brain drain

The association recalled raising the alarm on April 2 regarding the imminent contract expiry of dental officers from the 2021 cohort.

“Regrettably, these contracts have since expired without extension, and subsequent cohorts have faced similar outcomes,” it said, pointing out that this administrative impasse has triggered an exodus of skilled dental practitioners who have already completed mandatory service and accumulated valuable clinical experience.

The MDA warned that this exit threatens the sustainability and accessibility of public oral healthcare, especially for schoolchildren, rural communities, and lower-income families who rely heavily on government dental clinics.

While acknowledging that operational demands and staffing mechanisms differ across healthcare disciplines, the association stressed that all healthcare professionals deserve equitable treatment, transparent promotional pathways, and formal recognition.

The MDA appealed to Putrajaya to reassess the status of affected contract dental officers, open clear avenues for permanent absorption, and formulate a sustainable human-resource strategy to stem the loss of dental talent to the private sector or abroad.

The association argued that the substantial public investment channeled into training these professionals represents a national asset that must be retained within the public healthcare infrastructure.

“A resilient healthcare system cannot be built by strengthening one profession while overlooking another,” the association said, reiterating that oral healthcare must remain an integral pillar of national health planning.

The MDA expressed its readiness to collaborate constructively with the MOH and central agencies to formulate equitable, long-term staffing solutions.

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马来西亚牙科协会 (MDA) 呼吁联邦政府和卫生部为合同制牙医提供与医生和药剂师相同的永久聘用机会，并强调由于合同到期，受过培训的牙医离开公共部门可能会造成人才流失。

尽管卫生部长向药剂师做出保证，并持续为医生提供永久职位，但MDA强调，必须公平对待所有医疗保健专业人员，以确保公共口腔保健的可持续性和可及性。

该协会倡导重新评估合同制牙科医生的地位、制定可持续的人力资源战略，并与相关部门合作，以留住公共部门的牙科人才。

吉隆坡，10 月 12 日讯——马来西亚牙科协会 (MDA) 敦促联邦政府和卫生部 (MOH) 给予合同制牙医与医生和药剂师相同的转正机会，并警告称，受过培训的牙医在合同到期后未获续签，正被迫离开公共部门。

马来西亚牙科协会主席钟振峰博士今天发表声明称，该协会欢迎政府致力于加强公共医疗卫生队伍，特别是2027年预算案中宣布的永久任命计划。

周五，首相兼财政部长拿督斯里安华·易卜拉欣在下议院提交国家预算时宣布，明年将有超过9000名合同医生在公共医疗机构获得永久职位。

安瓦尔指出，自 2023 年以来，已有超过 15,000 名合同医生获得了永久职位，并补充说，完成实习的医学毕业生现在将直接转为正式的医疗官职位。

该协会还强调了卫生部长拿督斯里祖基菲里·艾哈迈德医生最近作出的保证，即卫生部正在积极加快合同药剂师的永久任命。

“在这方面，MDA 恳请政府和卫生部给予合同制牙科医生同样的重视，他们对国家公共医疗保健系统的贡献同样重要，”该协会表示。

合同到期和公共部门人才流失

该协会回忆起曾在 4 月 2 日发出警报，指出 2021 届牙科医师的合同即将到期。

“令人遗憾的是，这些合同已经到期且没有续签，后续的一批人也面临着类似的结果，”声明指出，这种行政僵局引发了大量技术娴熟的牙科医生流失，这些医生已经完成了强制服务并积累了宝贵的临床经验。

MDA 警告说，这一退出将威胁公共口腔保健的可持续性和可及性，特别是对于严重依赖政府牙科诊所的学龄儿童、农村社区和低收入家庭而言。

该协会承认，不同医疗保健学科的运营需求和人员配备机制有所不同，但强调所有医疗保健专业人员都应该得到公平的待遇、透明的晋升途径和正式的认可。

马来西亚牙科协会呼吁布城重新评估受影响的合同制牙医的地位，开辟明确的永久安置途径，并制定可持续的人力资源战略，以阻止牙科人才流失到私营部门或国外。

该协会认为，投入到这些专业人员培训中的大量公共投资代表着一项国家资产，必须将其保留在公共医疗保健基础设施中。

该协会表示：“不能通过加强某一专业而忽视另一专业来建立有韧性的医疗保健系统”，并重申口腔保健必须继续作为国家卫生规划的重要组成部分。

MDA表示愿意与卫生部和中央机构进行建设性合作，制定公平、长期的员工配备方案。

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