KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 — Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has given an assurance to find a better interim solution to issues facing health officers serving the government on contract.

Khairy gave this commitment at a discussion held online with the Contract Doctors Hartal Movement secretariat this afternoon.

"Several matters were raised, including the method of assessing performance for permanent positions, opportunities for further studies and the future of their profession,” he said on his Facebook page.

Early last July, a group of contract doctors with the Health Ministry launched the #HartalDoktorKontrak movement to express their dissatisfaction regarding the lack of permanent posts for the estimated 23,000 contract health officers throughout the country.

Following that, the government announced that contract medical, dental and pharmaceutical officers would be given a two-year contract after they have completed their compulsory service to ensure continuity in service and as preparation for them to take up specialist studies. — Bernama