KUCHING: The Health Ministry (MoH) has been urged to convene a townhall session to address resistance and confusion surrounding its proposed Waktu Bekerja Berlainan (WBB) pilot shift system.
Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen stressed the need for engagement with all stakeholders to tackle human resource management and distribution issues in the healthcare sector.
“This townhall should involve representative from the different doctor groups including the Malaysian Medical Association(MMA), Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK), Malaysian Medic International (MMI) and even government hospital directors who eventually are the implementer of such policy in their respective hospitals,” he said in a statement.
Dr Yii also called for the suspension of the pilot shift system’s implementation until all relevant stakeholders have been consulted and a consensus is reached.
He said policies affecting healthcare professionals should incorporate input from frontline medical officers, whose insights are critical for creating practical and effective reforms.
“Policies must be designed with input from frontline medical officers as their insights are key to developing reforms that are practical, effective, and tailored to the realities of their work environment.
“On top of that it must be communicated clearly in order to not create confusion and resistance,” he added.
While Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad claimed that WBB is still in the proposal stage, Dr Yii pointed out that an official circular on the initiative has already been signed.
He stressed the need for transparency, calling for a detailed explanation of the policy’s rationale, its potential benefits for healthcare professionals, and solutions to concerns raised by stakeholders.
Additionally, he lamented that the current distribution of the healthcare workforce is already struggling to cope with high workloads.
“The core issue must be addressed especially when it comes to human resource management in the healthcare system.
“Any reduction in work hours without addressing manpower shortages will impact inpatient care and the running of clinics and other hospital services,” he said.
To mitigate these challenges, he proposed the establishment of an independent Health Services Commission comprising experts from various fields, including the MoH, to develop solutions to stem the outflow of healthcare workers from public service.
“This core issue requires all hands on deck to resolve, including to find ways to cauterize the haemorrhage of healthcare workers from the service,” he stressed.
