Kuala Lumpur: The Staggered Working Hours (WBB) system for medical officers is an additional option to the existing on-call and shift systems, not a replacement, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. WBB is a new shift system for public healthcare workers that is still at the proposal stage.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, at a special press conference on the WBB issue, Dzulkefly clarified that the system was designed by doctors for doctors in the field in selected hospital departments. The system was developed after taking into account various inputs from stakeholders at different levels, and the decision was made following the urgent need to improve the existing work schedule system.

'The selection of any work schedule arrangement (on-call, shift or WBB) is subject to the capability and availability of the respective hospital department and administration,' he said.