HEADS of hospitals have been reminded to exercise tolerance and allow medical staff who work extra hours to get adequate rest.

“Sometimes, the medical staff who work extra hours are busy.

“However, there are some who are not too busy because they are assisted by housemen. 

“The heads of department should use their discretion in managing the working hours of their staff,” Health Minister Dr. S. Subramanian told Dewan Rakyat’s Question Time today.

Dr Subramaniam was replying to a supplementary question from Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz (PAS-Pasir Mas) who had wanted to know whether there was any specific guide on the working hours of medical staff.

He said medical staff were required to work not more than 65 to 75 hours per week or not more than 16 hours per day and were given one day off according to existing regulations.

He also said that 554 cases of road accidents had been recorded among health ministry hospitals staff from 2014 to 2016.

There were also 96 cases of road accidents recorded among medical staff returning home after having worked outside of office hours, during the same period, he added. – Bernama, November 2, 2017.