Doctor given wrong transfer info

The Star

RECENTLY, the Health Ministry transferred my daughter, who had just completed her housemanship at HKL, to Sarawak on very short notice.

The directive, in the form of a one-page letter, asked her to report for duty in Kuching. No details were provided. But, surprisingly, the letter mentioned Pekeliling Perbendaharaan Bil 4/1995 (Treasury Circular).

I advised her to ask the signatory to the letter to furnish details of the flight arrangement, accommodation and other facilities to be provided by the Government.

The officer at the Health Ministry told her that she had to buy her own ticket, but she would be reimbursed. She also had to arrange, on her own, the shipment of her personal belongings, and she could choose her own movers.

She was also advised that the Government did not provide any personal advances for her travel.

It appears that the ministry’s ability to help doctors on transfer is hamstrung by the absence of policy guidelines.

I was not happy with the explanation and did my own research online – looking for the various circulars of the Treasury and JPA pertaining to support provided by the Government for officers going on transfer – and concluded that the officer at the ministry was either ignorant or uninterested in servicing the needs of its clients.

Again, my daughter went to see the financial officer at HKL and was told once more that it was never the practice of the hospital and the ministry to arrange for the ticket and to provide the personal advances.

When my daughter showed the officer the Treasury Circular, she told her that it had to be authorised by the HKL director.

My daughter managed to see Datuk Dr Zaininah, who gave approval for HKL to arrange for the airline ticket.

My daughter then went to see the clerk-in-charge of the selection of movers to ship her belongings. She was given a list of approved movers and told to call for quotations for final selection by HKL.

I wonder why, despite the salary increase, the attitude of civil servants has not improved.

MOHD SHAH ABDULLAH,

Ampang, Selangor.