PETALING JAYA: Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad says he remains committed to the principles and objectives behind the proposed optional Waktu Bekerja Berlainan (WBB) shift system for healthcare workers.
Speaking to FMT, he paid tribute to the country’s “hardworking healthcare workers” and said he is determined to ensure they are remunerated fairly for working graveyard shifts which “few other professions will ever know or experience”.
“While our doctors are on their on-call duties at unearthly hours, many others are in the comfort of their beds,” he said.
“This is not about personal success or failure. It’s about finding the best way forward for the country and, more importantly, our healthcare workers.”
Dzulkefly was asked to comment on former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s claim that the WBB system for healthcare workers failed to get off the ground due to the disconnect between Putrajaya’s bureaucrats and the realities of medical practice.
“Firstly, this is quite unlike the usual KJ,” said Dzulkefly.
“Was he ill-advised when he took on the PTDs (administrative and diplomatic officers)?
“He didn’t seem to understand how WBB was conceived and was supposed to have been implemented. It has almost nothing to do with the PTDs.”
