Misinformation Health Ministry S On Call Allowance Defence Comes Under Fire

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The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) have labelled the Health Ministry’s statement on the on-call allowance (ETAP) for medical officers as misinformation and urged for it to be retracted.
“Government doctors have the right to get fair remuneration for their efforts in improving the quality of public healthcare.
“The misinformation in the Health Ministry’s latest statement cannot be accepted.
“The MMA calls on the ministry to retract that statement,” the MMA said in a tweet today.
Meanwhile, the HDK said the example given by the Health Ministry was RM220 for medical officers during weekends or public holidays.
Hourly pay
It insisted that the working hours for those days are 24 hours and not 15 hours as asserted by the ministry.
“So the hourly pay is RM9.16,” HDK said in a series of postings on Twitter.
HDK also questioned why the ministry cited, as an example, Grade UD52 medical specialists’ remuneration when the issue was about normal medical officers.
It said there are no contract medical officers who have an RM18,000 monthly salary as illustrated in the ministry’s example.
“If this is the level of understanding from the Health Ministry’s higher officials, then (Health Minister) Dr Zaliha Mustafa has a big problem.
Long explanation
“Her own officers do not understand the situation on the ground.
“Such a long explanation, complete with bolded words, but it is wrong and confusing.
“Just retract it (the statement). Put a false label on it,” HDK said sarcastically.
Earlier today, the Health Ministry defended the ETAP, saying it is inaccurate to divide the RM220 rate for public holidays and weekly active on-call by 24 hours to arrive at the figure of RM9 per hour.
It said the ETAP is paid based on 15 hours per day, taking into account the duration of on-call duties after regular working hours. - Mkini

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