PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Health has reminded all facility management to strictly comply with Public Service Department regulations permitting pregnant female civil servants to leave work one hour earlier once their pregnancy reaches 22 weeks.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad stressed that department heads and supervisors must not take actions contradicting established standard operating procedures regardless of operational constraints.
He acknowledged that healthcare facilities face various challenges but emphasised these cannot justify violating the pregnancy accommodation rule.
Dzulkefly specifically addressed concerns regarding pregnant nurses and MySTEP programme officers during his press conference following a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony.
The minister was responding to recent media reports alleging non-compliance at some Selangor health clinics and district health offices.
These reports indicated that some facilities were only granting the early departure allowance at 36 weeks of pregnancy rather than the mandated 22 weeks.
Service Circular Number 11 of 2017 clearly stipulates that pregnant female civil servants become eligible for early departure at five months or 22 weeks of pregnancy effective from January 1, 2018. – Bernama