PETALING JAYA: Doctors undergoing supervised work experience (SWE) following their specialist training will now be entitled to full specialist allowances under a new incentive introduced by the Health Ministry.
The ministry announced in a statement that the rollout of the Pre-Gazette Specialist Incentive Payment (BIPPW), which ensures that doctors performing specialist-level duties during the mandatory SWE period receive the same financial incentives as fully gazetted specialists.
This initiative is in line with the Medical (Amendment) Act 2024, which came into effect on July 1.
The BIPPW will be granted immediately upon a doctor’s entry into SWE, a transitional stage after completing specialist training, during which they are supervised by senior specialists to assess their clinical competence.
The incentive mirrors the existing Specialist Incentive Payment (BIP), offering rates between RM1,900 and RM2,800, depending on the officer’s grade (UD/UG10 to UD/UG14).
Previously, under the old gazettement process, medical officers only became eligible for BIP after being formally registered as specialists.
The restructured framework now streamlines this transition, offering uninterrupted financial recognition for those already working at a specialist level.
The ministry said the incentive reflects its commitment to safeguarding the welfare of public healthcare professionals and ensuring continuity in patient care.
It also noted that the new legal framework helps address longstanding issues related to specialist recognition and registration under the National Specialist Register (NSR), particularly in fields such as cardiothoracic surgery, family medicine, plastic surgery and general pathology.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Medical Association’s Section Concerning House Officers, Medical Officers and Specialists (MMA Schomos) welcomed the announcement, saying it alleviated concerns that existing specialist allowances might be reduced under the revised gazettement process.
“We take note of the assurance that the specialist allowance will not be reduced in any way under the new NSR-SWE-gazettement model, but is now rebranded as the BIPPW. We are thankful,” the group said in a Facebook post.
MMA Schomos also renewed its call for the introduction of a dedicated allowance for subspecialists, stressing the importance of fairly rewarding and retaining highly-trained professionals in advanced medical fields.
