KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) is proposing that the government considers setting up a Healthcare Service Commission for the healthcare sector as a long term solution to address the issue of wage and income.

Its president Dr N Ganabaskaran said in response to the critical allowance saga, professional civil servants and other medical professionals are concerned about their well-being.

"In relation to this, MMA proposes that the government looks into the setting up of a Healthcare Service Commission for the healthcare sector tasked to independently promote, drive improvement, increase efficiency and productivity  in the quality of healthcare delivery and public health workforce management including the setting of remuneration scales and promotion rules,” he said in a statement today.

Ganabaskaran said MMA also welcomes the government’s decision to postpone a plan to end critical service allowances to new professional civil servants next year.

He said thousands of junior doctors, dental officers, pharmacists, assistant medical officers  and nurses who will serve in the government healthcare facilities from next year would be affected if the Public Service Department (PSD) were to proceed with this move.

"We appreciate that the government is giving time for this matter to be discussed in its next cabinet meeting in January.

"Budgets spent on workforce is an investment. Workforce morale must be looked into. Low motivation and feelings of being under appreciated will affect the delivery of healthcare to our beloved rakyat,” he said.

On Wednesday, a circular by PSD to cut existing payments of critical service allowance went viral and was panned by majority of the people including Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

Yesterday Syed Saddiq announced that Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has agreed that there will not be any critical allowance cut pending a Cabinet meeting on the matter next year.