{
  "id": 13856875,
  "title": "Don’t leave contract dentists behind after Budget 2027 doctor absorption, urges MDA",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/dont-leave-contract-dentists-behind-after-budget-2027-doctor-13856875",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-12T02:28:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/10/12/dont-leave-contract-dentists-behind-after-budget-2027-doctor-absorption-urges-mda/238758"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) has called on the Malaysian government to offer contract dental officers the same absorption opportunities as medical doctors and pharmacists. The association expressed concern that trained dentists are being forced out of the public sector after their contracts expire without extension. MDA president Dr Chong Zhen Feng made this plea in response to the government's commitment to reinforcing the public healthcare workforce announced in Budget 2027. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim highlighted that over 9,000 contract doctors will receive permanent positions in public healthcare facilities next year, with more than 15,000 securing permanent employment since 2023. Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad also assured that the ministry is expediting permanent appointments for contract pharmacists. The MDA urged the government and the Ministry of Health (MOH) to extend similar consideration to contract dental officers, whose contributions to the nation's public healthcare system are equally vital. The association noted that expired contracts and public sector brain drain have already led to the departure of skilled dental practitioners who completed their mandatory service and gained valuable clinical experience. This exodus threatens the sustainability and accessibility of public oral healthcare, particularly for vulnerable groups such as schoolchildren, rural communities, and lower-income families. Despite acknowledging that staffing mechanisms differ across healthcare disciplines, the MDA emphasized that all healthcare professionals should receive equitable treatment, transparent promotional pathways, and formal recognition. The association urged Putrajaya to reassess the status of affected contract dental officers, open clear avenues for permanent absorption, and develop a sustainable human-resource strategy to prevent losing dental talent to the private sector or abroad. The MDA stressed that the substantial public investment in training these professionals represents a national asset that must remain within the public healthcare infrastructure. They reiterated that a resilient healthcare system cannot be built by prioritizing one profession while neglecting others, emphasizing that oral healthcare must remain an integral component of national health planning.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — The Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) has urged the federal government and the Ministry of...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Don’t leave contract dentists behind after Budget 2027 doctor absorption, urges MDA",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/dont-leave-contract-dentists-behind-after-budget-2027-doctor",
        "published": "2026-10-12T02:28:57.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}