PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has received approval to increase the On-Call Duty Allowance (ETAP) for health workers and an announcement on the matter will be made later, said its Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He stressed that the welfare aspect of health workers has always been fought for and has been his priority throughout his leadership at MOH.
“We have already received approval for the increase in the active allowance or ETAP, we just need to announce the amount, I have been asked to wait for the announcement,“ he said.
He told reporters after launching the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2024: Nutrition at MOH here today.
ETAP is compensation for additional responsibilities carried out by medical officers in treating patients while on-call at hospitals after normal working hours.
In addition, Dzulkefly said that his party has also received approval regarding the fee schedule involving private clinics and hospitals.
Regarding the claim that the Ministry of Health held a large-scale Hari Raya ceremony and invited famous artists, he stressed that the appearance of Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin was through the platform of Yayasan Nurjiwa.
He said that the Ministry of Health did not pay Biduanita Negara to perform while Datuk Jamal Abdillah was only given a small token.
“This (Hari Raya ceremony) is also to celebrate the senior citizens of the Ministry of Health who are not only at the Ministry of Health in Putrajaya but they came from other places,” he said.
Previously, several news portals criticised Dzulkefly and his ministry for spending a lot for their Hari Raya ceremony, including inviting famous artists including Siti Nurhaliza.
Following this, Siti Nurhaliza explained that her presence at the Ministry of Health Aidilfitri Celebration Ceremony was as a guest, not as an officially invited artist to perform.
