The recent circular by the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) regarding the implementation of the Waktu Bekerja Berlainan (WBB) shift system has brought about unprecedented outrage among the medical fraternity.
The Hartal Doktor Kontrak movement and thousands of public health care workers strongly condemn that this ill-conceived policy was mooted without engagement with key stakeholders. Indeed, the isolated nature of this decision mirrors a severe dissociation between the policymakers and those at the frontline in the delivery of critical care to patients.
The WBB system is exploitative and dangerous, imposing 18-hour straight shifts, including graveyard hours, without on-call allowances. It takes away from health care workers their just compensation, increases mental and physical strain, and compromises patient care. Graveyard shifts are now treated as regular hours within a 45-hour workweek, ignoring the exhausting nature of these hours and the sacrifices made by the frontline workers.
It reflects the top-down approach that is corroding trust and morale by introducing such a drastic change without consulting doctors, medical associations, or unions. This policy was devised by people in ivory towers who have no idea what health care workers face on the ground.
Doctors are not numbers in a 45-hour workweek; on the contrary, they are professionals with colossal responsibility on their shoulders and unique challenges quite different from those felt in office jobs.
The government has taken credit for increasing on-call allowances, claiming to improve doctors’ welfare. However, with the WBB system, most doctors can no longer claim any on-call allowances during weekday shifts.
The WBB system claims to reduce working hours in order to improve doctors’ welfare. In reality, it does the opposite.
This means that the MOH actually lowers the take-home pay for doctors while forcing them to work all-night shifts without additional compensation by treating graveyard shifts as normal working hours and by eliminating weekday on-call allowances.
Doctors are human beings, not machines. Working them through the night without sufficient rest and remuneration is against their health and impairs their capacity to provide safe and quality care to patients. This is an unacceptable disregard for the well-being of front-line workers.
On behalf of all our colleagues around the country, Hartal Doktor Kontrak puts forward the following urgent demands:
- Immediate Withdrawal of WBB Circular: The WBB circular should be immediately withdrawn to prevent any further erosion of the morale and welfare of the health workers.
- Meaningful Dialogue with Stakeholders: That urgent consultations should be held with key stakeholders, including doctors, medical associations, and unions, before the introduction of any policy affecting working conditions of doctors, that such a process be transparent and inclusive.
- Review and Increase On-Call Allowances: Speed up the long-overdue review of on-call allowances to reflect the commitment and sacrifices made by public health care workers. Current rates are woefully outdated and grossly inadequate.
- Address Manpower Shortages Before Policy Changes: The MOH must address the chronic manpower shortages in public health care facilities before introducing new shift systems. No shift system will ever be effective or sustainable without adequate staffing.
The medical profession forms the backbone of our public health care system. The disrespect and underpay of health workers will only cause brain drain, increase burnout, and deteriorate patient care. If the MOH will not listen to the legitimate concerns of doctors, the crisis in health care will further deepen.
The health of the rakyat depends on the well-being of our doctors. It’s about time for the MOH to show that they value the people behind the white coats.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
