KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 – The Healthcare Work Culture Improvement Task Force (HWCITF) is scheduled to meet Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK), an independent group of contract doctors, today.
HDK spokesman Dr Muhammad Yassin said he would represent HDK at tonight’s discussion with the independent task force that was set up to investigate the work culture and alleged workplace bullying in the public health care sector.
“I’ll be representing hartal,” Dr Muhammad told CodeBlue today.
“I’m not sure if any other medical associations will be involved in tonight’s meeting, nor if any discussions had been done between the task force and other associations before this.”
Dr Muhammad said that HDK, in today’s discussion with HWCITF, would emphasise transparency in handling complaints lodged by house officers and ways to encourage trainee doctors to complain about bullying or sexual harassment in the workplace.
“Concerns will be on how to create a grievance management system which is transparent and without any prejudice towards those who make the complaints, and how to ensure the junior health care [staff] are willing to come forward on bullying or sexual harassment incidents.”
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin set up the nine-member HWCITF on May 13, following the death of a house officer from Penang Hospital last month that triggered widespread allegations on the purported work culture of bullying of junior doctors across public hospitals.
HWCITF, which is chaired by former Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation secretary-general Prof Siti Hamisah Tapsir, comprises experts outside MOH, including human resource and organisational design experts, but does not include any representatives from medical associations or groups representing trainee doctors.
