SHAH ALAM – The Selangor Health Department says that only medical and health personnel at Kajang Hospital who meet the criteria are eligible for the special COVID-19 allowance starting from July.
Selangor Health director Datuk Dr Sha’ari Ngadiman said it was in line with the circular letter dated April 21 on ‘Improvements in Granting Special Allowances to Doctors and Health Officers Directly Involved in Efforts to Address and Curb the Spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic’.
“Allegations by certain parties as published by a website that the special COVID-19 allowance for Kajang Hospital staff have not been paid is baseless.
“Medical officers, health personnel and forensic officers who were mobilised to red zones are still receiving the special allowance until now,” he said in a statement Oct 22.
Dr Sha’ari said Kajang Hospital was categorised as a ‘screening hospital’ which provided screening counter and advisory services but if there were positive cases, patients would be referred immediately to Sungai Buloh Hospital for further treatment.
“For that purpose, Kajang Hospital created a Special COVID Screening Cabin in March and Ward 6 was reserved for suspected Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases.
“During that period, the medical officers or health staff involved were paid the allowance,” he said.
But following a drop in COVID-19 cases since May until the Kajang sub-district was categorised as a green zone, Kajang Hospital suspended the operations of Ward 6 and closed the special cabin in June when no positive cases were recorded at the health facility, he added.
On Oct 16, a portal published an article entitled ‘Justice for the frontliners, the COVID-19 allowance has not been paid since July – Kajang Hospital Officer’ in its readers’ column.
In the article, the author claimed he did not receive the special COVID-19 allowance from July until this month.
— BERNAMA
