The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has courted brickbats over its tepid response to the issue of junior doctors being bullied in government hospitals.
In an incisive rebuke, Penang Deputy Chief Minister (II) P Ramasamy (above) accused the association of not being in touch with the reality of the situation.
He claimed that MMA president Dr Koh Kar Chai had missed the elephant in the room.
“If the MMA has nothing to say to correct the situation in government hospitals, it should remain silent or even indifferent to the matter.
”Koh should not open his mouth to expose the uncaring or indifferent attitude of the MMA,” he added in a statement this afternoon.
Yesterday, the MMA president claimed that there were only a handful of serious bullying cases
Furthermore, Koh argued that senior doctors using harsh words against their juniors was expected due to the pressure cooker working environment and to ensure that the trainees perform.
He added that cases related to bullying were resolved internally.
‘Shocking’
For Ramasamy, the MMA president’s remarks were shocking as they suggested that the association is callous to the degree of bullying in hospitals, which was brought to light after a doctor took his own life in Penang.
"Koh mentioning only very few serious cases seems to be a statistical approach to downplay the extent of bullying in government hospitals.
"He misses the point that it is not the manifestation of the phenomenon in terms of a few cases, but the systematic practice of bullying and humiliation over the years.
”The focus should not be on the few cases but whether the government can allow for bullying to take place whatever the justification,” he added.
Pointing out that it is not an aberration, but something systemic, Ramasamy said it is the grudging tolerance of bullying in government hospitals that has given rise to this malicious culture.
The Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) group also registered its protest and accused the MMA of downplaying the matter.
“What about the not-so-severe cases?” asked a spokesperson, who wished to be known only as Dr Syed in an FMT article,
“Does the Health Ministry allow mild to moderate bullying of house officers? If so, what are the cut-off points that separate mild, moderate and severe cases of bullying?
“Saying only a handful are bullied greatly downplays the problem and invalidates other people’s trauma.
“For example, within this week, we had four reports of sexual abuse and assault by the infamous Dr S and accounts of abuse posted on Twitter,” he added. - Mkini
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