PETALING JAYA: Medical officers can now benefit from a 90-day maternity leave as originally allocated. This duration has been restored from a previous 60-day period.
According to Sinar Harian, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad said that the issue had been fully resolved.
“The ministry acknowledges the importance of maternity leave, and this matter has been addressed with medical officers now being granted a 90-day extension,“ he was quoted as saying at a press conference after officiating the National Strengthening of the First 1,000 Days of Children’s Lives event today.
To address the shortage of staff when other doctors are on maternity leave, he said the ministry would mobilise medical officers.
“Doctors from the same district will be mobilised to clinics in need during that period. It is unfortunate that this situation occurred, and God willing, we will ensure it does not happen again. We are a ministry that should demonstrate empathy and compassion towards our staff,“ he said.
He was responding to the Hulu Langat District Health Office’s June 27 decision to limit maternity leave to 60 days for all medical officers in public health clinics to address a shortage of doctors.
It was reported that Selangor State Health Department Director Dr. Ummi Kalthom Shamsudin said that all clinic heads in the district agreed to the 60-day maternity leave due to seven medical officers taking maternity leave simultaneously across several health clinics in June and July.
