The government has been urged to take immediate steps to improve the working environment, culture and provide a work-life balance for the nation’s junior doctors in a bid to curb brain drain in the healthcare sector, which is a long-standing issue.
Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai has called on the Health Ministry to be more committed to eradicating the culture of bullying that has taken root in the healthcare system over the years – contributing to a toxic work environment.
Muruga, in a statement today, expressed hope for Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa to go all out to wipe out bullying among healthcare workers.
“Working in government hospitals or clinics is by itself an already highly stressful environment due to the high patient count and the responsibility of being entrusted with an equally high level of care for all.
“The last thing the junior doctors want is their own team members giving them a hard time.
“This will be among the issues we will bring up in our meeting with the health minister tomorrow,” he said.
Besides a toxic work environment, Muruga said the lack of permanent positions, better pay abroad, transparency in criteria for positions and promotions as well as the contract system are also reasons for brain drain in the medical field.
The lack of transparency in the selection criteria for permanent positions is fuelling frustration among many healthcare workers, he stated.
To deter medical brain drain, Muruga said positions and promotions should be given based on merit.
“As the White Paper for Health Reforms is being drawn up, we hope that these important issues will be addressed as human capital is our most precious resource.
“It needs to be noted again that we are facing shortages of specialists and many current ones will retire soon or leave for private healthcare and this will create more gaps in the public healthcare system.
“Many of our junior doctors will be our specialists in the future, so let's support them and do all we can to give them a future in our country. After all, it will be for our benefit,” Muruga mentioned.
On Dec 22, UM’s former dean of medicine Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman said at least 30 of the best medical graduates from Universiti Malaya leave Malaysia for greener pastures because of unresolved healthcare workers’ issues at home.
As such, she said the government must take grouses on work conditions of healthcare workers seriously to stem brain drain. - Mkini
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