LETTER | Time for a health system overhaul

LETTER | The sudden death of a specialist doctor from Lahad Datu Hospital, Sabah, has sent shock waves across the medical fraternity.

It is rather hard to comprehend that even a specialist doctor could be the subject of bullying.

Questions must be asked about whether it is worth studying to become a doctor after slogging for many years.

In plain language, a doctor’s noble purpose is to help save lives. But, the irony is that during their housemanship, as junior doctors or as medical doctors undergoing masters programmes and even specialist doctors could be the subject of harassment and duress.

This practice should certainly send alarm bells ringing.

Any Tom, Dick and Harry could only conclude that there is something really wrong with the entire system. To put it bluntly, it is sick to the core and needs to be treated immediately.

No more ‘work smart’

The tagline “to work smart” should be removed immediately. It seems to be used to exploit and abuse the doctors under the purview of the superior doctors.

There are also instances in specialist hospitals requesting for continuity in the posting of medical officers undergoing master’s programmes.

These trainee master doctors would be made use of to the maximum, while the resident specialists be having a gala time in the name of “working smart”.

Worse still, besides being exploited to the full there are some who are not satisfied with it and will be continually trying to belittle and bring down these trainee doctors.

All these goings-on are a damper for those aspiring to pursue a career in medicine.

It is also high time that the authorities concerned wake up from their slumber and put things in order before even more doctors decide to leave the government service or even worse end their lives.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.