KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — The Hulu Langat district health office (PKD) has implemented a shift system for extended hours (EH) duty at public health clinics (Klinik Kesihatan) and hospital emergency departments in its district.
According to a July 3 memo from the Hulu Langat PKD in Selangor, as sighted by CodeBlue, medical officers on EH duty in clinics, beginning last July 9, were divided into two shifts: 5pm to 9pm and 5.30 to 9.30pm.
Klinik Kesihatan Kajang and Klinik Kesihatan Ampang provide EH service from Monday to Friday, 5pm to 9.30pm, but locum allowance claims are capped at four hours.
The locum allowance for medical officers, pharmacy officers, and X-ray technicians (in the management and professional group) is limited to four hours a day, at RM80 per hour, RM25 per hour, and RM25 per hour respectively for the three groups of health care professionals.
A medical officer named Dr Harper (pseudonym) at a Klinik Kesihatan (KK) in Selangor, however, criticised the shift system for EH duty, pointing out that most doctors would prefer the earlier 5pm-9pm shift.
“This new rule is only going to create more chaos and mess. Our question is, why is there no standardised working hours for EH nationwide? Why do some clinics close at 9pm and some only close at 9.30pm? Why is there a major discrepancy?” Dr Harper told CodeBlue.
“If PKD refuses to pay the extra 30 minutes, then PKD should have a meeting with MOH (Ministry of Health) to revise the working hours and standardise the operating hours to 8am-9pm nationwide. This would definitely solve all the current problems and everyone would be willing to serve without frustration.
“In reality, most patients only visit the KK after 8pm, it is the busiest time everyday. If this shift system is implemented, those who are supposed to finish at 9pm will not be able to go back on time, and eventually will leave at 9.30pm just like the rest.
“Hence, the extra 30 minutes will be ‘free service’. It would get extremely overwhelming for those working the later shift in which they might also not be able to leave by 9.30pm.”
The July 3 circular by Hulu Langat PKD stated that locum allowance would not be paid to medical officers who worked an extra 30 minutes of clinic EH duty from last July 1 to July 5, allowing them only to claim time off. For pharmacy officers, they are also only eligible to claim time off if they work an extra 30 minutes of clinic EH duty.
“This is ridiculous as they only released this circular after we worked for the past few days. And, this is not the first time PKD is doing such a thing to us,” Dr Harper said.
“The least PKD could do is have a meeting with all the medical officers (MOs) involved and come to a conclusion that would benefit all parties.”
Hulu Langat PKD’s July 3 circular was sent to KKs Ampang, Batu 9, Batu 14, Bandar Tun Hussein Onn, Balakong, Sg Sekamat, Kajang, Sg. Chua, Bangi, Semenyih, Beranang, Bandar Seri Putra, Taman Nirwana, and Rinching Tengah, as well as Klinik Ibu Anak Cheras Baru.
MOH’s new 2024 claims form for locum allowance for EH duty at Klinik Kesihatan and hospital emergency departments for medical officers, pharmacy officers, and X-ray technicians (management and professional group) limits claims to four hours. The new claims form was released following a May 24 circular by MOH’s accounts division.
Dr Harper said during EH duty at the KK they work in, they are seeing 180 to 200 patients in four and a half hours, translating to each MO seeing 30 to 35 patients in that period (nine to eight minutes per patient).
“We are hardly spending time to treat patients, hence this is compromising the optimal management and definitely putting the working MOs’ health at stake.”
MOH said in response to CodeBlue’s queries that each allowance claim must be checked by supervisors and all claims exceeding a third of a staff’s salary will be checked by the head of department to balance the department’s financial situation and the need for prevention and control in the field.
“No overtime claims for work assigned by the supervisor will be cut, but merely capped.”
