Bullying: MMA out of touch with reality in gov’t hospitals, says Ramasamy

Bullying: MMA out of touch with reality in gov’t hospitals, says Ramasamy




PENANG deputy chief minister II Dr P. Ramasamy has accused the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) of being out of touch with the reality surrounding the bullying cases of housemen in government hospitals.

At a press conference yesterday (May 10) MMA president Dr Koh Kar Chai mentioned that there are only a handful of serious bullying cases experienced by housemen and trainee doctors.


He also said that recent reports on bullying cases have “misconstrued the reality of the situation”, adding that with the bullying cases that have now been reported many of the press continue to mention the few cases that had occurred in the past.


“In other words, it seems that Dr Koh is agreeable to the phenomenon of bullying but not the serious bullying of the housemen,” Ramasamy noted.


“He agrees that certain kinds of harsh treatment of housemen is unavoidable due to the stress of the job and to ensure trainee doctors perform their duties competently.


“For him the problem is not so much about bullying or the harsh treatment but the general problem of the increase in medical graduates over the years.”

According to a report by FMT Dr Koh had mentioned during the press conference that previously, as there was a much smaller pool of housemen and junior doctors, cases of bullying or workplace mistreatment tended to be resolved in house.

He noted that with the increase in medical graduates over the past couple of years, it would naturally lead to an increase in bullying cases.

On this matter, Ramasamy said that he was “shocked beyond belief” that MMA “seemed so callous to the degree and intensity of bullying” that has been brought to the surface by the recent suicide of a Penang Hospital houseman.

Something amiss in government hospitals

Ramasamy further pointed out that what was important was not the number of suicide cases but an acknowledgement that there is something “seriously amiss” in government hospitals.

“Recent media coverage has illustrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that bullying of housemen by senior doctors, hospital authorities and even senior nurses had reached a point of crisis in the medical profession,” he commented.

“Dr Koh’s mention of only very few serious cases seems to be a statistical approach to downplay the extent of bullying in government hospitals that serve mostly the poor segment of the society.

“However, Dr Koh missed the point that it is not the manifestation of the phenomenon in terms of a few cases but the systemic practice of bullying and humiliation of the young housemen over the years.”

Ramasamy stressed that the focus should not be on the few cases but whether the Government can allow for bullying to take place regardless of the justification.

“I don’t understand why MMA has to downplay the bullying incidents as those who took their lives are more of an aberration than a norm,” he said.

“It is the grudging tolerance of bullying in government hospitals that has given rise to the malicious culture of tormenting the housemen un the forms of bullying and humiliation that seems to be the root of the problem.

“I think that MMA is either out of touch with reality or do they want to suck up to the government in power by downplaying the phenomenon of bullying by reducing these cases to a statistical nonsense?”

Ramasamy also said that if the MMA has nothing to say to correct the situation in government hospitals it should “remain silent or even indifferent” to the matter.

“Dr Koh should not open his mouth to expose the uncaring and indifferent attitude of the MMA as even the loss of one’s life warrants investigation and action.” – May 11, 2022