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KUALA LUMPUR – Although the Health Ministry’s Healthcare Work Culture Improvement Task Force is welcomed, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii has suggested to include housemen and medical officer representatives, as well as medical NGOs.
He said representatives from the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), especially from the Section Concerning House Officers, Medical Officers and Specialists (Schomos), have been consistently fighting for the rights of young doctors.
He added that representatives from Malaysian Medic International (MMI) who mainly represent young doctors and housemen should also be allowed to offer their input in the task force.
Yii, in a statement today, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin should table the task force report to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee of Health Science and Innovation to get a bipartisan input and even endorsement to boost public confidence.
“It is of utmost importance that the ministry acknowledges the existence of such a problem and has the necessary political will to implement a strict zero horizontal violence policy in all workplaces to curb any toxic environment and even violence among healthcare workers.
“This will require the input and the mobilisation of all stakeholders to ensure all aspects are covered, and this issue is properly addressed as it does not only involve the welfare of healthcare workers, but also the quality of care to our patients.”
Yesterday, Khairy announced the members and goals of the Healthcare Work Culture Improvement Task Force, following the death of a Penang Hospital houseman and mounting allegations of bullying in public hospitals.
The task force will have two months from today to present to the ministry their evaluation reports and suggestions for improving workplace culture and medical professionals’ human resource management in the public health service.
The unit will be chaired by former Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry chief secretary Professor Datuk Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir and will be looking into several individuals from five departments who were allegedly involved in the bullying of the deceased Penang Hospital houseman.
Eight other members will have a seat in the task force, including Datuk Hamidah Naziadin, who helmed CIMB’s group human resource department, with 31 years under her belt; and Prof Dr Zabidi A.M. Hussin, a paediatrician specialising in paediatric neurology, who is currently the pro-vice chancellor at International Medical University.
The others are Mohamed Ridza Mohamed Abdulla, a lawyer and partner at Mohamed Ridza & Co.; Dr Amer Siddiq Amer Nordin, a psychiatric consultant from Universiti Malaya; IMU Healthcare chief executive officer Dr Chong Su-Lin; The Vibes executive editor and Patient Safety Malaysia chairman Manvir Victor; corporate trainer Sivaramakrishnan Balasubramanian; as well as representatives from the Public Service Department.
The death of the junior doctor after his posting to the hospital is believed to be the second involving a houseman in the state. In December 2020, The Vibes reported that a doctor who had resigned from the same hospital had died suddenly.
Several doctors, who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the issue, said bullying in the medical fraternity is a pervasive problem. – The Vibes, May 14, 2022