Sunday, January 11, 2009

Update on the Scheme of Service & On-Call Allowances

We heard the Jawatankuasa Tanggagaji (JTG) resided on the 18th December 2008 to discuss an urgent issue, the doctors proposal for improved salary. The proposal consisted of three main issues, the revised scheme of service (i.e. basic pay), the on-call allowance & a proposal for professional allowance.

We don't know exactly what went on in the meeting because no doctors were allowed to be represented in it. However from a very senior doctor in the ministry the JTG has concluded that they will only approve resident and non-resident on call. Extended hours duty at On sum ping, medical cover and shift duty at A&E and CCM will not be considered as 'on call'.

According to a member of the team that represented our paper in the meeting, if MOH wants to compensate us for the extended hours, medical cover or shift duty, we should call it something else but not oncall allowances because he said JTG says it is not really oncall.

So if we want to be compensated, we have to prepare another paper? Hmm... basically it's up to our executives what would be the next step of plan. Either accept the deal from JTG where only resident & non-resident on-call will be given, i.e. medics, surgeons and any doctor who is on the oncall rota at RIPAS with exception of A&E and ICU doctors because they work shift duties or prepare another paper and start back again. Or maybe there is another solution...

What's your view??

We await the decision from the executive meeting and update us with the other issues with regards to the Scheme of Service proposal.

Reporting for Doctors Mess.