KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Bernama) -- All doctors and surgeons in government hospitals are allowed to do locum work to enable them to earn extra income after working hours and during leave, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said.
However, they were advised to take up insurance as protection for their patients and should ensure that there was no conflict of interest with their part-time jobs, he said.
"We know that many do locum work without permission...so we have decided to allow doctors to do locum on condition that they get written approval," he told reporters after launching an international conference on Robotic Urologic Surgery at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital here.
Dr Chua said about 15 per cent of doctors in government hospitals did locum without government approval and would not get any protection from the government except when doing their official duties.
"We will not force them to take up insurance cover but they have to bear in mind the risks involved," he added.
Dr Chua said, however, that doctors attached to the ministry's enforcement division would not be allowed to do locum for fear that it would lead to a conflict of interest.
He said guidelines on locum work would be distributed at government hospitals soon.
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