PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry should not merely enjoy a retreat, but solve various issues, especially the contentious Waktu Bekerja Berlainan (WBB) system, says the Malaysia Medical Association Section Concerning House Officers, Medical Officers and Specialists (MMA Schomos).
In a statement posted to its Facebook page Saturday (Jan 18), MMA Schomos called out the Health Ministry over its decision to conduct a retreat to deliberate on issues concerning doctors after a hasty town hall which failed to address critical concerns raised by healthcare workers.
The latest issue of shifts under the proposed WBB - new working hours for doctors - has come under fire in recent days.
On Jan 18, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said with the system, working hours will be reduced from 99 to 72 hours a week.
He said this is to ensure that MOs and specialists are not overworked while improving their work-life balance, as well as serving the people better.
Dzulkefly said the WBB implementation will be discussed in detail during the three-day retreat that is being held until Sunday (Jan 19).
In its Facebook post, MMA Schomos said it takes note of the Health Ministry’s decision to conduct a retreat, where amongst others, deliberation on the contentious WBB shift system will occur.
“This move comes after widespread dissatisfaction expressed during the recent town hall session, which failed to address critical concerns raised by healthcare workers.
“It is important to highlight that the town hall, which was called within a 24-hour notice, was not a stakeholder consultation in the true sense but a fait accompli situation that was top-down in nature during which most comments and questions went unanswered and unresolved.
“The following points must be given serious consideration, namely halting the rollout of WBB, on-call allowance issue, workforce distribution, transparent and inclusive policy-making and income loss for healthcare workers.
“Conduct a thorough stakeholder consultation, engaging healthcare workers, particularly junior medical officers who will be most impacted by the policy, to ensure the system is practical and does not exacerbate existing issues.
“Recognise that the current workforce distribution cannot support reduced working hours without compromising patient care.
“Any proposed solution must revolve around the ability to finally implement it to the benefit of all doctors and patients and not in a piecemeal manner,” said MMA Schomos.
It further said that the proposed increase in on-call allowance, limited to WBB weekend shifts, is insufficient and unfair to doctors not included in the WBB system.
“The quantum of allowances for all doctors must be increased as called for and implemented across all facilities. All benefits should be the same for everyone,” said MMA Schomos.
Calling for equitable distribution of healthcare workers, MMA Schomos stated that a comprehensive audit of staffing needs was required, factoring in population demand, hospital workloads, and most importantly the norms for each service.
“Put such information on a transparent dashboard accessible to the public.
“The Ministry should avoid making unilateral decisions without input from the ground. Stakeholder consultations should allow for meaningful input rather than serve as a mere formality.
“Under WBB, weekday shifts that extend beyond regular hours are treated as part of the 45-hour workweek, leading to income loss for doctors," it said.
Stressing that its members were not against reforms or improving work-life balance, MMA Schomos said that the Health Ministry must address this financial disparity and ensure no healthcare worker suffers an income reduction due to the new system.
“Reforms must enhance the system rather than demoralise the very professionals it relies upon and also not impact patient care.
“We stand ready to assist in developing pragmatic solutions to improve our healthcare system for the benefit of all,” said MMA Schomos.