He said medical officers sometimes worked long hours but they were given adequate time off as compensation.
“For example, a staff who is on-call is busy sometimes and free at other times, and they have interns to help them.
“They might not have the chance to rest, so the head of department can use their discretion to allow these officers to go home and be off the next morning.
“This is what is practised now in which flexibility is given to each unit in the hospitals to use their discretion while taking into consideration the staff’s safety and their welfare,” he said in reply to Nik Mohamad Abduh (PAS-Pasir Mas) in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Nik Abduh asked whether the ministry would look thoroughly into the work scheduling guidelines for medical officers to avoid accidents due to long hours at work.
However, Subramaniam said that in training interns, the ministry must also make sure the system implemented gave them the opportunity to gain rich experience.
“If we shorten their work schedule, it may affect their experience and their chance of treating all kinds of illnesses.
“This is why they are sometimes asked to work longer hours.
“However, no matter what the scenario, the ministry will always make sure the interest of medical officers is always considered. This is why we have facilities in hospitals for them to rest and sleep.”