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Malaysia to Issue New Guidelines on Medical Officer Working Hours
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Culture & Society

Malaysia to Issue New Guidelines on Medical Officer Working Hours

From Utusan Malaysia · (34m ago) Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Ministry of Health (KKM) in Malaysia will soon issue new guidelines to strengthen the working hours of medical officers.
  • Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad stated these improvements aim to align with current realities on the ground.
  • The new guidelines follow concerns raised by Malaysian Medics International (MMI) about medical officers working up to 85 hours per week without proper compensation.

Kuala Lumpur – The Malaysian Ministry of Health (KKM) is set to release updated guidelines concerning the working hours of graduate medical officers (PPS) in the near future. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad announced that these enhancements are designed to better reflect the current operational demands faced by healthcare professionals across the nation.

Saya perhatikan perkara ini dibangkitkan dan saya perlu sebutkan bahawa satu pekeliling serta garis panduan baharu akan dikeluarkan oleh Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan untuk memperkukuhkan perkara berkaitan waktu bekerja PPS.

— Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly AhmadHealth Minister announcing new guidelines for medical officer working hours.

Dr. Dzulkefly addressed concerns previously raised, emphasizing that graduate medical officers are not merely "extra pairs of hands." He confirmed that a new circular and guidelines will be issued by the Director-General of Health to reinforce the implementation of flexible working hours for PPS, ensuring adherence to the original framework.

Pertama, kita perlu kembali kepada kenyataan yang telah dikeluarkan oleh KKM bahawa pegawai perubatan siswazah bukan extra pairs of hands.

— Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly AhmadHealth Minister reiterating the value of graduate medical officers.

This move comes in response to allegations from Malaysian Medics International (MMI), which highlighted that PPS in Malaysia endure demanding workloads, sometimes reaching up to 85 hours weekly, often without adequate compensation. MMI also pointed to an informal work culture that leads to unrecorded overtime.

Kedua, berkaitan sistem waktu bekerja fleksi yang telah dikeluarkan, garis panduan baharu akan diperkenalkan bagi memperkukuhkan pelaksanaannya dan akan dikeluarkan dalam masa terdekat supaya mengikut garis panduan asal.

— Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly AhmadHealth Minister explaining the upcoming guidelines for flexible working hours.

While acknowledging these issues, Dr. Dzulkefly suggested that persistent problems might stem from implementation challenges at the field level. He assured that if any issues arise, the ministry would revert to the original regulations and work on improving field-level execution. The KKM's commitment to addressing the welfare and working conditions of its medical officers is paramount as the nation navigates evolving healthcare demands.

Kalau ada sebarang masalah, kita akan kembali kepada peraturan asal dan kita akan perbaiki pelaksanaan di peringkat lapangan.

— Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly AhmadHealth Minister addressing potential implementation issues at the field level.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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