In a statement today, Dr RA Lingeshwaran asked if the ministry had done anything about the 11 recommendations made by the Healthcare Work Culture Improvement Task Force (HWCITF) in a report made available to the public in August 2022.
“Were they followed? Or was (the task force’s establishment) just a knee-jerk reaction, with the findings swept under the carpet and business continuing as usual?
he said.The current task force should find out more about this now that it is a good two years down the line and another death has occurred, allegedly due to bullying again,
The HWCITF was set up in 2022 following the death of a houseman at Penang Hospital on April 17, 2022.
Earlier today, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry has formed an independent special task force to investigate the death of Dr Tay Tien Yaa in Lahad Datu, Sabah, who allegedly committed suicide.
Tay died on Aug 29, after which her sister claimed that bullying might have been one of the factors that led to her death.
The Malaysian Medical Association has urged both the health ministry and state health department to expedite a thorough investigation into the matter, expressing concern over the mental health and well-being of doctors in the public healthcare system.
Meanwhile, Lingeshwaran said the task force set up today should include or give the role of watching brief to a representative from MMA or the Section Concerning House Officers, Medical Officers and Specialists (Schomos).
“We are setting up a task force for a reason. The task must be to force the bullying menace out of the system.
he said. - FMTOtherwise, forming a fancy task force everytime someone commits suicide in healthcare will become a cliche,
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