SHAH ALAM, Aug 29 — Public sector medical officers are expected to receive good news soon about on-call duty allowances, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said the matter was discussed at a recent Cabinet meeting, to the agreement of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“We have received a positive response from the prime minister, who is also finance minister, and are awaiting news about the amount,” he said, indicating that the announcement will be made during the tabling of Budget 2025.
He was speaking at a press conference following the launch of the MyGenom project at the National Institutes of Health, which was also attended by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang.
On August 24, Dr Dzulkefly reportedly said the proposal from the Hartal Doktor Kontrak group about on-call allowances for medical staff will be reviewed and presented to Anwar for consideration.
Regarding the human insulin shortage, Dr Dzulkefly urged the public not to panic, as the ministry is working to ensure sufficient domestic diabetes medication supply.
He assured no patient will be sent home empty-handed; instead, they will receive the necessary medication based assessment by their physicians.
“I am personally involved in ensuring our commitment to procure insulin from alternative sources, and the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency will facilitate a fast track for the new registration of human insulin.
“If any facilities or clinics experience shortages, patients will be promptly redirected to nearby facilities, so there is no need for alarm. We are confident our doctors will not compromise the safety and health of their patients,” he stated.
— Bernama
