GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government is committed to addressing issues faced by junior doctors, says Dr Norlela Ariffin.

       The Penang Health Committee chairman said on Friday (May 6) that she has sent suggestions to the Health Minister, Health director-general as well as the deputy Health director and health exco members.

       “I will also be calling a state Health Committee meeting to address these issues formally and find real solutions and real change.

       “I do not want this issue to be looked at less than seriously,” she said.

       Dr Norlela added that the Health Ministry had thousands of sincere and hardworking staff who have saved thousands of lives.

       “I have received so many invaluable insights on issues faced by housemen and junior doctors and suggestions on how to revamp the system.

       “I wish the Health Ministry would change the culture of keeping everything inside and that nothing must be shown outside the walls.

       “It is frustrating because it is hard to penetrate these walls to get to the real truth and resolve real problems,” she said.

       Acting North-East OCPD Supt V. Saravanan had earlier told a daily English news outlet that investigations into the death of the houseman attached to the Penang Hospital last month were ongoing.

       He said police expected to record statements from the houseman's family soon.

       “For now, police have recorded statements from the deceased's housemate and doctor over the incident.

       "We will be recording statements from the houseman's family this week.

       "For now, the houseman's death is still classified as sudden death. Investigations into the cause of death are ongoing," he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.

       Supt Saravanan added that police were still awaiting results of the deceased's post-mortem, lab tests and chemist reports.

       A houseman in Penang Hospital had recently fallen to his death from his residential building.

       On May 4, the Penang Health Department confirmed that a graduate medical officer fell from the building on April 17 and said this 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 suddenly.

       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.

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