PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry is setting up a task force to investigate the death of a junior doctor at Penang Hospital and also the alleged bullying culture there.

       Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, in a tweet yesterday, said: “I have received the preliminary report from the head of department in relation to the death of a houseman at Penang General Hospital.

       “The Health Ministry will set up an independent task force to investigate this case and the alleged bullying culture.”

       He said police were also investigating the case where a graduate medical officer fell to his death from a building in Jalan Datuk Keramat.

       Khairy’s announcement came hours after Hartal Doktor Kontrak group called for a task force to address the long working hours and bullying culture within the healthcare system.

       The group is a movement by the Health Ministry contract doctors to fight for improved rights.

       The group’s spokesman Dr Muhammad Yassin said the ministry must address the “elephant in the room” as the issue of bullying has been brought up on many platforms.

       “They get abused by their superiors who scold them in front of patients and call them names. This caused depression among some of them who even attempted suicide,” he said.

       He said the ministry must acknowledge the bullying culture within the system.

       “The superiors who are found to be bullying their juniors should be given stern warnings and have their promotions or raises withheld,” he said.

       He also called for better working hours and work-life balance.

       He said the 14-day tagging period can be most stressful because junior doctors do not get a single day off.

       “Imagine the stress someone who has been working for 36 hours will be under. Then, they go back to be with their family and do not have enough sleep,” he said.

       Dr Muhammad added this has also caused some doctors to vent on junior doctors. He said exhaustion could also cause doctors to make mistakes while attending to patients and also risk their own lives while on the road.

       “A better alternative would be to make them work from 8am to 8am and then allow to go back after they pass over,” he said.

       He said that with more junior doctors coming on board every year, the ministry should be able to reduce the work hours.