YOURSAY | Money not main reason for doctors leaving govt service

 

YOURSAY | ‘Short-sighted measures will not help the country.’

Dzulkefly concerned over doctor resignations, lays out retention steps

BobbyO: The problem lies right at your doorstep, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Money or salary may be one of the reasons for doctors to leave for private practice, but there are other reasons as to why they also leave the government service.

The promotion of personnel is one of the reasons. Those promoted are either connected or are of the majority race. Even though they may not be capable enough.

Second is the transferring of doctors causes family breakups. Imagine sending a mother with a few months' baby to one state, while her husband, also a doctor, is not transferred.

Doctors who ask for a specialist course are not accorded what they want, but instead a different specialist course.

Doctors have to be on call 24 hours, depriving them of enough rest and sleep to give their best.

Also, people are not allowed to spend time with their family. Especially those mothers with a younger set of children. Why?

Are we in a state of war? We are facing a shortage of doctors due to decisions made by incompetent officers in the ministry. That is why doctors have to be on call 24 hours a day.

Even those who belong to the majority race leave to join private practice or go overseas.

Let us not fool ourselves, as nothing will change in this nation. Salaries will remain unchanged as the government borrowings are too high due to the level of corruption.

YellowGecko9040: As a consultant in one of the busiest hospitals in the country and in a field where I am the only one doing what I do, I have been on call daily for the last seven years now.

In the initial stages, it was manageable, but as cases started to increase, I rarely got a meaningful break and started to fall sick.

Increasing stress being at the beck and call every day for seven years has led to new health issues being identified and pain becoming a part of life.

Rarely can I take leave because something will happen when I am on leave and will try to come back, cancelling the leave and family commitments, which leads to more family friction.

This is life when certain niche areas are in high demand, but no one is doing them (because nobody wants to trade their quality of life to do something that has no personal returns other than the joy to the patient).

Is this bullying? Yes, it is because the Health Ministry is aware that there is a dire need to train more people.

However, with no good long-term or short-term prospects for them, there is no initiative for anyone to take it up.

The Health Ministry only sees it as simply doing its job and providing the service.

I am still around but not for long. One must start looking out for our health because the Health Ministry won’t.

OrangePhoenix9919: I also like to share some real-life insight. My wife was an internal medicine consultant at one of the government hospitals.

She has been serving the government sector for more than 15 years, even though her salary isn't as high as what you would earn at private hospitals. But overall, the work-life balance was quite good.

Maybe at the consultant level, things aren't as hectic. So the reasons, like being overworked, and having no work-life balance aren't all true.

However, this year she quit and moved to work in the private sector.

The reason was due to politicking within the department and the hospitals.

Incapable people being put into top positions within the hospital creates disharmony and a feeling of unfairness.

While money will always be a driver in everyone's life, it's not the most important thing.

But if money isn't the best and the work environment isn't the greatest, it is normal for humans to seek change.

So, I would think to improve retention it is also important for the work culture to be right.

The right people should be appointed to the right positions. Proper procedures need to be in place for vetting appointments to management positions within the hospital.

Appoint people for what they are capable of. Not for who they are or who they know.

LimeSinga1592: I thought the government hospitals were flooded with doctors due to handing out licences to every university offering medical courses without any proper control mechanism.

Please explore the possibility that not everyone who wants to become a doctor is resilient physically, mentally or spiritually to take up this challenging job.

Furthermore, it also explores the possibility that the majority of the doctors who resigned are the capable ones who are offered attractive salaries in the mushrooming private medical industry.

Gotcha: Contract medical and dental officers require urgent attention from the Health Ministry.

Due to the uncertainty of absorption to permanent positions and also from the recent small rise in pay, some are already planning for other greener pastures.

VioletPhoenix0979: Who is left in the Health Ministry? Administrators who are good at office politics yet get nothing done.

Medical officers who are not interested in continuing learning yet are invited to be administrators and then fast-tracked promotion.

Doctors whom we all like to dismiss from service but cannot as they hold permanent positions.

Specialists who have spent many years in service, who suddenly realise it is too late to go into the private sector.

What's happening now is that junior specialists are leaving the Health Ministry. In 10 years, seeking treatment at a government hospital will be a nightmare.

GreenHornet9776: Sometimes the hospital administrator does not help look after the doctors.

Some have actively encouraged doctors to resign or put them in a situation where the doctor has no option but to resign.

There are cases of doctors having a Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in Cardiothoracic Surgery qualifications but are told this is not recognised.

The Health Ministry is imposing new requirements to recognise master’s programmes only. Short-sighted measures will not help the country.

Falcon: If an average of three doctors quit government service every day, over the last five years, totalling 6,417 - the response should be a Royal Commission of Inquiry, not continued spins, manufactured excuses and lies.

But the question is, where does one start? - Mkini