KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 — Former Senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran has questioned alleged failure at the district health office (PKD) level to pay overtime allowances to paramedics and ambulance drivers.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said in a March 4 written parliamentary reply to Dr Lingeshwaran – two days before the latter completed his first three-year term in the Senate – that paramedics and ambulance drivers are entitled to overtime allowance (ELM) payment or replacement leave if they are instructed, “in writing”, by their head of department (HOD) to work beyond normal working hours or to be on-call.
In addition, assistant medical officers and community nurses who work alone at health clinics or rural clinics are also eligible to receive the on-call preparedness allowance (EBAP) for duties outside office hours.
However, Dr Lingeshwaran cited claims that such support staff were not paid overtime allowance or given replacement leave despite being instructed to be on-call.
“My questions to the Ministry of Health (MOH), especially at the PKD level: Why do situations still occur where support staff are instructed to be on-call, but their rights to claim overtime allowance or replacement leave are denied or ignored?” he said in a statement yesterday.
“Are written instructions from the HOD deliberately not issued to avoid such claims, even though the workload is still carried out by the staff?”
“It is unjust if there are differences in treatment or discrimination in payment methods between professional groups and support groups, when both bear critical responsibilities in saving lives.
“I urge MOH to investigate these allegations immediately and ensure that every effort of our frontline personnel is appreciated in accordance with the established regulations. The welfare of paramedics and ambulance drivers must not be compromised.”
