KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has received more than 120 complaints through its HelpDoc line since it was launched in 2017, 36 of which involved bullying cases.
MMA president Dr Koh Kar Chai said HelpDoc serves as a platform to provide assistance to doctors in reporting bullying cases without the fear of being reproached and to encourage those in the medical field to use the complaint line fearlessly.
He added that it was also in recognition of the fact that bullying cases may never be reported for fear of being singled out for further punishment.
“HelpDoc is meant for doctors who have trouble at work and they need not be afraid since any reports lodged are taken offline and we will do a follow-up with the doctor involved to solve the case,” he told a press conference here today.
Meanwhile, Dr Koh reminded members of the public to not lay judgments easily as such cases may occur due to certain factors.
Elaborating, he said, stress sources such as harsh words and juniors who repeatedly do something wrong or have the potential to cause harm to patients may be among the contributing factors as to why ‘bullying’ occurs.
He reiterated that working in the medical field is stressful, adding that aid is readily available in various hospitals, such as stress management units where doctors can seek consultation from counsellors and psychiatrists if they have any issues.
“These units have regular engagement sessions with doctors and they can approach the counsellors themselves if they are stressed,” he added.
Dr Koh also said that the Health Ministry needs to look into all contributing factors in addressing the issues faced by housemen in their training and also the welfare of doctors in the public healthcare system.
