THE Ministry of Health (MOH) will not be rolling out the “Waktu Bekerja Berlainan” (WBB) system for healthcare personnel on Feb 1, contrary to claims made by certain parties.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (picture) clarified that the assertion suggesting the new system would be introduced as an early trial phase on February 1 is unfounded.
“Once again, to be clear, even a pilot project can only commence if it has been approved by the minister and by the Public Service Department (JPA),” he told the press yesterday.
Previously, a circular dated Jan 10, allegedly leaked by certain individuals, went viral with claims that the MOH would implement WBB.
In response, Dr Dzulkefly on Jan 16 said the project was still at the proposal stage and would not involve all public hospitals nationwide.
He further noted that WBB itself was conceptualised by a group of 10 specialist doctors to accommodate the demanding work requirements of medical officers in the field.
“In fact, the Medical Advisory and Action Committee (MAAC) was established around January 2024, comprising clinical specialists from various disciplines under the Ministry of Health,” he said.
Dr Dzulkefly went on to explain that the leaked letter was not an official circular for all public facilities, stressing that only the DG and the secretary general of the ministry have the authority to issue such circulars.
“Generally, this pilot project serves as a platform for improvements, with ongoing engagement sessions before the findings are presented to me for consideration,” he said.
The minister added that WBB would merely serve as an additional option alongside two existing systems, rather than replacing the current system entirely.
Any decision on the choice of work schedule, he added, depends on the availability of human resources and the readiness of individual departments or hospital administrations.
Public healthcare workers, he observed, face a heavy workload with extended working hours, including 33-hour shifts without interruption.
On-call duties can extend this to as many as 99 hours per week, a situation he described as unacceptable for medical officers.
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