The Ministry of Health has announced that nine positions within the allied healthcare sector will be eligible for overtime payment for a period of six months. This information was communicated to medical superintendents, divisional medical officers, and heads of cost centers via an internal circular released on Friday.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved overtime payments for several roles categorized under Band F salaries. These positions include medical imaging technologist, senior pharmacy technician, biomedical technical officer, dental technician, junior physiotherapist, health inspector, tobacco control enforcement officer, supervisor dietician, and medical laboratory scientists. The overtime payment will commence on November 7 and will last for six months.
Notably, the circular indicated that a request for extending overtime payment for a technical officer higher grade position at Labasa Hospital was denied. This comes amid recent concerns regarding the Ministry of Civil Service’s new policies on overtime and time-off in lieu (TOIL), which were reportedly impacting service delivery at the radiology and pharmacy departments in the CWM hospital.
In response to these concerns, Permanent Secretary Parmesh Chand of the Ministry of Civil Service stated that the policy underwent amendments following discussions with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.
This decision to allow overtime payments is a positive step aimed at improving service delivery in the healthcare sector. By incentivizing professionals in critical roles, it is hoped that not only will morale be boosted, but patient care and operational efficiency will also see significant improvements.
Summary: The Ministry of Health has approved overtime payments for nine allied healthcare positions for six months starting November 7. This change follows recent concerns over service delivery due to new policies related to overtime and time-off, leading to modifications in those policies.
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