SHAH ALAM, Aug 4 — The shortened 60-day maternity leave, due to the medical officer shortage at the Hulu Langat health office, was agreed by clinic heads in the district.
Selangor State Health Department (JKNS) director Dr Ummi Kalthom Shamsudin said the decision was made after considering there were seven medical officers on simultaneous maternity leave at several clinics throughout June and July.
She said the situation was exacerbated by some medical officers rejecting their placements in Hulu Langat.
“If measures such as the limitation of maternity leave are not taken, it would have added to the workload and pressure on serving medical practitioners to fulfil public health needs.
“In principle, the Health Ministry (MOH) will ensure continuous service to the public is unaffected. This must be done without affecting service quality, patient safety, and medical practitioners’ welfare,” she said in a statement yesterday.
She said Hulu Langat obtained views on shortened maternity leave from the MOH Human Resource Division’s Regulatory Unit and Employee Relations in 2023.
According to the Human Resource Services Circular (Leave Facility) Version 1.0 (2022), the allotted period for maternity leave is between 60 to 90 days for each birth, Dr Ummi said.
“Taking everything into consideration, the Hulu Langat health office took temporary measures to set maternity leave at 60 days for each birth, the minimum mandatory leave.
“However, the Hulu Langat health office will consider any request for additional maternity leave on a case-by-case basis, and each approval is subject to the interests of the service,” she added.
The office held briefings with district health officers and medical officers on Friday on the current situation and improvement measures for the district, she said, adding that the JKNS will try to fill vacancies in the Hulu Langat health office.
She also assured the JKNS is committed to seeking the best solution for the state’s continued health services.
A local news portal previously reported the 60-day maternity leave for medical officers in Hulu Langat, effective June 27.
— Bernama
