Hospitals to Reschedule Specialist Appointments During Additional Aidilfitri Holiday
PUTRAJAYA – Patients with specialist clinic appointments or day treatment sessions scheduled on the additional Aidilfitri public holiday will receive new appointment dates as government hospitals adjust their schedules.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said hospitals will contact affected patients directly to inform them about the revised appointment arrangements.
He explained that the move aims to ensure continuity of medical services while accommodating the additional public holiday announced by the government.
“Patients whose specialist clinic or day treatment appointments fall on the public holiday will be contacted and provided with new appointment dates,” he told reporters in Putrajaya.
Dzulkefly spoke to the media after participating in the Kembara Programme together with the ministry’s smoking cessation initiative, Cik Era.
Additional Holiday Linked to Syawal Date
Earlier, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced an extra public holiday in conjunction with Aidilfitri to allow Malaysians more time to celebrate and travel.
According to the announcement, the additional holiday will be observed on Monday, March 23 if the first day of Syawal falls on Friday.
However, if Aidilfitri is celebrated on Saturday, the extra holiday will instead be granted on Friday, March 20.
The measure is intended to help Malaysians better plan their travel and family gatherings during the festive period.
Healthcare Services Remain Operational
Dzulkefly emphasised that despite the adjustment to appointment schedules, hospitals and healthcare facilities will continue operating as usual during the holiday period.
Medical personnel who have already been scheduled for duty will remain at hospitals to ensure patients receive the necessary care.
“In addition, healthcare workers who are already on call will continue to provide services to patients during the holiday period,” he said.
Meanwhile, public health monitoring will continue through the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre at both state and national levels.
The monitoring system ensures that any potential public health incidents can be addressed promptly.
Smoking Cessation Programme Shows Encouraging Results
In a separate development, Dzulkefly revealed that the Cik Era ChatBot service has helped 2,476 individuals quit smoking for the January to June 2025 cohort.
He described the figure as encouraging and reflective of the growing impact of digital health initiatives in supporting healthier lifestyles.
“This is an impressive number. During Ramadan, quitting smoking should be seen as a personal victory and a commitment to leave cigarettes behind permanently,” he said.
The Cik Era ChatBot is an artificial intelligence-based innovation developed by the Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia under the JomQuit programme.
The platform provides information, support and guidance to individuals seeking to stop smoking through an accessible digital interface.
-wilayah.com.my
