KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 — The monthly RM600 Covid-19 allowance for frontline Ministry of Health (MOH) medical staff working in public university hospitals is subject to their hospital, Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said.
The deputy health minister I said for frontline MOH health care workers from MOH hospitals, their head of department can instruct that they be paid the special coronavirus allowance.
“If they are working in university hospitals, then payment is subject to the respective hospital,” Dr Noor Azmi told CodeBlue.
A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sheet released by MOH’s Human Resource Division yesterday, as sighted by CodeBlue, also said the special Covid-19 allowance for officers on coronavirus-related duty at university hospitals was subject to the Higher Education Ministry.
“University hospitals are under the purview of the Higher Education Ministry (KPT). Therefore, officers serving at university hospitals are under KPT’s responsibility. Any eligibility for allowances must be referred to KPT,” said the FAQ.
On whether medical officers undertaking specialist study under the Hadiah Latihan Persekutuan (HLP) scholarship for Master’s students, who perform Covid-19 duties at MOH or university hospitals, are eligible for the coronavirus allowance, the FAQ said: “If officers are instructed by their Head of Department to get involved in managing and curbing the Covid-19 outbreak at set MOH health facilities, then the officer is eligible for consideration of this special allowance by sending a claim to the responsible centre / health facility that the officer is working at.”
CodeBlue reported yesterday that public university hospital health care workers and house officers doing coronavirus-related work are eligible for the special monthly Covid-19 allowance.
Higher Education Ministry director-general Prof Mohd Saleh Jaafar said the Covid-19 allowance has been extended to frontline health care workers at all eight public university hospitals managing the coronavirus outbreak — Universiti Malaya, International Islamic University Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, as well as Universiti Malaysia Sabah that will be roped in soon.
These universities do diagnostic tests to detect the coronavirus, while Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) in Kuala Lumpur is also a coronavirus-admitting facility.
Public university hospitals do not just comprise university hospital staff, but also MOH doctors undertaking specialist study under the HLP scholarship.
The scope of coronavirus-related work covered by the special Covid-19 allowance, which beneficiaries must claim for, includes making action plans to tackle the outbreak, detection and screening at medical facilities or Malaysia’s main entry points, contact tracing, infection control, home surveillance of people under quarantine, testing, and admission and treatment.
