Health Minister to meet junior docs, house officers on workplace bullying

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad plans to hold a series of closed-door meetings with junior doctors to discuss the issue of bullying at the workplace.

Promising his personal involvement in ensuring this issue is addressed, he said the confidentiality of such meetings would be ensured.

“These will be closed-door meetings and everything is confidential. They do not have to be afraid to tell me their complaints.

“I would like to meet with junior doctors, housemen and other stakeholders.

“I will travel from state to state (to hold these meetings),” he told members of the press after closing the Health Promotion in Learning Institutions Convention at the International Islamic University Malaysia this morning.

This is in light of a recent survey in which close to 80 percent of junior doctors said they had been bullied in the workplace.

Seventeen percent of respondents said they had contemplated suicide as a result of the bullying.

The poll was conducted by the Doctors Only Bulletin Board System (DOBBS), an online forum for Malaysian doctors, on its members.

“It seems there is an unhealthy work culture in the training of junior doctors in Malaysia. 

“While some amount of admonishment is to be expected during the training period, it should not reach a level of bullying,” DOBBS representative Dr Alan Teh told Malaysiakini.  - Mkini