KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 – Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad announced today that locum doctors working in public health care facilities will receive their allowance of RM80 per hour immediately.
“We have received government approval to pay all locum doctors at public health care facilities RM80 per hour, effective immediately. This is good news, and payments will be processed right away. We consider this matter resolved,” Dzulkefly told reporters after attending a memorandum of understanding signing between the Health Ministry and IHH Healthcare for cancer patient care.
CodeBlue reported last Tuesday complaints from medical officers about the Selangor state health department (JKNS) stopping the RM80 hourly payment since last month for four hours’ work (9am to 1pm) on Sundays and public holidays at all three public health clinics in Selangor that provide the EH service on those days.
This followed a JKNS February 8 circular that decided on the claim hours’ policy for medical officers for extended hours (EH) work in KK Bandar Botanik, KK Taman Ehsan, and KK Ampang on Sundays and public holidays as an “interim approach”.
MOH previously explained that pending approval from the central agency, doctors are eligible to claim their locum allowance for EH duty at KK Bandar Botanik, KK Taman Ehsan, and KK Ampang on Saturdays and public holidays, but they can only claim hours, or replacement leave, for work on Sundays from 9am to 1pm, subject to approval from the head of department.
The health minister’s announcement today means that locum doctors will now receive allowances for working EH from 9 am to 1 pm on Sunday and public holidays, in addition to providing EH services on weekdays from 5pm to 9.30pm and Saturday from 9am to 1pm.
