Dzulkefly said the ministry is currently reviewing allowances and other benefits for healthcare workers, including the on-call allowance, locum allowance, and regional travel entitlement.

“The ministry is committed to finalising the review on on-call allowance rates, which has been under way in recent months.

“In collaboration with the public services department, the proposal (for the revision) will soon be presented to the Cabinet for consideration and approval, with implementation targeted for 2026,” he said in a statement.

The ministry had been criticised by Senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran earlier today for failing to implement the on-call allowance increase despite its low cost.

Lingeshwaran, a former hospital director, said the funds could come from internal savings by cutting non-essential spending, such as official travel and meeting expenses.

He claimed that many young doctors were relying on Buy Now, Pay Later schemes to cover basic needs, reflecting the financial pressures they face.

He also urged a review of the Post-Basic Incentive Payment for nurses and medical assistants to better reflect their workload and qualifications.

Tabling the 2025 budget last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the on-call duty allowance at medical facilities taking part in the “new system” for doctors and dentists in certain categories would be increased by between RM55 and RM65.

In July, Dzulkefly had said doctors in public service would not get the on-call allowance increase allocated in the previous budget “at this time” because of the ministry’s inability to implement the proposed Waktu Bekerja Berlainan shift system due to insufficient medical workers in many healthcare facilities.