PETALING JAYA: Healthcare frontliners are urgently calling on the government to implement changes to improve their working conditions, protect their mental well-being and rebuild
lasting morale.
After years of neglect, burnout and emotional exhaustion, they are demanding dignity, recognition and concrete action.
In an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, hospital workers stressed that their demands are not for luxury but for respect and tangible improvements.
They emphasised the urgent need for policies that address chronic staff shortages, overwhelming workloads and insufficient support systems that have pushed many healthcare professionals to the brink.
Amanah Youth national health bureau chief Dr Ahmad Fadhzil Mohamad told theSun that medical staff, especially those in government hospitals and clinics, are experiencing burnout due to overwhelming workloads and systemic failings.
“Among the causes are staff shortages, which leave too few personnel managing too many patients, low wages despite long and demanding hours, burdensome administrative paperwork and lack of clear pathways for career progression.
“Meanwhile, as healthcare professionals are stretched to their limits, new policies are being introduced that unfairly affect private general practitioners, such as the proposals for the separating, prescribing and dispensing of medicines, and the increasing influence of large pharmaceutical corporations.”
Ahmad Fadhzil also pointed out the double standards in healthcare regulation, noting that unlicensed traditional healers and bomoh (shaman) continue to operate unchecked. He said one of the key demands is the establishment of a special frontliners’ commission to enable direct communication with policymakers.
“The introduction of two automatic ‘mental health days’ annually for healthcare workers, without the need for medical certificates or justifications, is also crucial. Just those days to breathe.
“Healthcare is not a luxury, it’s a basic right. We are not a threat. We are the backbone, but even backbones can break.”
Another issue is the family reunification policy, particularly for civil servants posted in different states. Many couples have endured prolonged separations, with some marriages strained by long-distance arrangements.
“They are not robots. They are also fathers, mothers, husbands and wives.”
Ahmad Fadhzil also proposed flexible shifts and work-from-home options for administrative, pharmacy and records staff, as not all roles are frontline critical.
“The traditional 8am to 5pm work schedule is too rigid, which could operate more efficiently with flexible or staggered hours.
“Lastly, we proposed that National Frontliners’ Day be meaningfully celebrated beyond posters and hashtags,” he said, suggesting that a special public holiday, awards and nationwide activities such as fun runs
or appreciation events to truly honour the sacrifices of
medical personnel.
Ahmad Fadhzil said certain departments within the public healthcare system are in critical condition, with the most severely affected being emergency, medical and surgical units in major hospitals.
He said in smaller hospitals, the situation is even more dire, as they are often operated by only a handful of doctors, while Klinik Kesihatan facilities are also overwhelmed, struggling to
cope with a high volume of patients despite having too few medical officers.
“Although medical staff have voiced such concerns over the years, little has changed.
“Responses have often come in the form of powerless committees or prolonged delays, resulting in little or no progress. Symbolic gestures are no longer sufficient,” he said.
Ahmad Fadhzil warned that without urgent reforms, Malaysia risks the collapse of its public healthcare system where doctors are overworked, underpaid and many are walking away, some permanently.