GEORGE TOWN: The Health Ministry has received an initial report on the death of the houseman from his department head in Penang, says Khairy Jamaluddin (pic).

       The Health Minister said police are also completing their investigation.

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       "The Health Ministry will set up an independent task force to investigate this case and the alleged 'bullying' culture," he said in a tweet on Friday (May 6).

       A houseman in Penang Hospital recently fell to his death from his residence.

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       On May 4, the Penang Health Department confirmed that a graduate medical officer fell from the building on April 17 and said the incident was being investigated. He had been stationed at the Penang Hospital since April 4.

       This is believed to be the second death involving a junior doctor in two years.

       In December 2020, a doctor who had resigned from the same hospital was also reported to have died.

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       A housemanship in Malaysia is an internship that all medical graduates go through before becoming full-fledged doctors.

       As spelt out in the 2019 Guidebook on House Officers, housemen must serve under several medical disciplines such as surgery, obstetrics and paediatrics.

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       Each discipline should not exceed 12 months and the total internship time should not exceed six years but in practice, the time frame varies from 18 to 24 months.

       Saya telah menerima laporan awal mengenai kematian seorang doktor pelatih dari Ketua Jabatan mendiang di PPinang. Pihak polis juga sedang lengkapkan siasatan. @KKMPutrajaya akan menubuhkan sebuat ‘taskforce’ bebas untuk siasat kes ini & juga budaya ‘buli’ yang didakwa berlaku.

       — Khairy Jamaluddin (@Khairykj) May 6, 2022