LETTER | The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) welcomes the Health Ministry’s recent formation of a task force to investigate the tragic passing of a pathologist at Lahad Datu Hospital and to assess the overall work culture at the facility.
We hope the investigation, though only beginning on Oct 10, will be thorough, transparent, and productive, yielding meaningful recommendations towards improvements in the work life of healthcare workers in the public sector.
While we commend this initiative, we also urge the ministry to revisit recommendations made by the Healthcare Work Culture Improvement Task Force (HWCITF) in 2022.
Although the recommendations were compiled by mostly a different panel, significant time, effort, and resources were invested in research, gathering insights, and feedback from public healthcare staff.
Transparency on which recommendations, if any, were adopted by the ministry would help clarify the direction of these ongoing reforms and reassure healthcare personnel about the government’s commitment to addressing work culture issues and challenges.
We urge that the newly formed task force also be empowered to review the findings and recommendations of the HWCITF.
Another unresolved bullying case
Additionally, we strongly recommend that the task force, in coming up with its own recommendations to prevent bullying at the workplace, engage and obtain views from all stakeholders and also other complaints that have been brought up.
As such, MMA urges that the task force also look into another case of alleged bullying in Sabah which is yet to be resolved.
The MMA has been highlighting this matter to the Health Ministry since last year after receiving complaints from a group of doctors there.
MMA wishes to reiterate that it is prepared to assist the task force in its investigations, in any form and capacity as needed.
The MMA has consistently emphasised the importance of prioritising the mental health and well-being of all doctors.
We stand firmly against any form of bullying and fully support the Health Ministry in creating a safe and positive work environment.
The writer is president of the Malaysian Medical Association.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
