MOH to issue new circular to cap house officers’ working hours amid welfare concerns

Dr Dzulkefly (second right) speaking to the press after officiating the CRM Trial Connect Conference 2026 in Kuala Lumpur on May 7, 2026. Photo credit: TVS/Azim Azmi

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, May 7: The Ministry of Health (MOH) will issue a new circular to regulate and reinforce guidelines on the working hours of house officers (HO) in public healthcare facilities nationwide.

In a TVS news, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the move follows a report by Malaysian Medics International (MMI), which found that house officers in Malaysia are currently working between 65 and 85 hours a week.

“I need to mention that there will be a circular from the director-general of Health on the guidelines. This new circular will strengthen matters related to house officers’ working hours, and it is currently being given attention,” he said.

He spoke to the media after officiating the CRM Trial Connect Conference 2026 in Kuala Lumpur today.

Dr Dzulkefly added that the circular will be issued by Health director-general Datuk Dr Mahathar Abd Wahab as part of ongoing efforts to safeguard the welfare and ensure better work-life balance for house officers.

Dr Mahathar, meanwhile, stressed that house officers are not merely supplementary manpower but play a critical role in the healthcare system.

“The MOH will review the guidelines on flexible working hours.

“House officers are not just an ‘extra pair of hands’. Therefore, in the next day or two, a new circular will be issued to further strengthen working hour regulations in line with the original framework of the flexible work system for HOs,” he said. — DayakDaily