Thank you for your extensive coverage of the crisis happening at Ministry of Health (MOH) hospitals. It is really a crucial time for change.
However, I feel that the use of the word “collapse” to describe what is happening at MOH hospitals might not be appropriate. Realistically speaking, MOH hospitals will never “collapse” per se (and to really define “collapse” can be problematic).
What will happen is this: MOH hospitals will slowly degenerate to provide just the barest minimum care. There will always be doctors who will stay on, due to their sense of duty, so in theory, the system will never come to a standstill.
Hence, the top management will be able to get away with excuses such as “it’s a work in progress” or “I am trying my best”.
To this effect, the MOH leadership will not be compelled to act fast enough, as there will “always be a doctor on duty tomorrow”. This is akin to kicking the can down the road, and nothing will really change.
I hope that CodeBlue can raise some awareness about this issue and present a narrative about the number of avoidable deaths, or something like that. Otherwise, we will keep thinking that we are trying to avoid a collapse.
It is like climate change. We can keep on talking about it, and we can do little things here and there, but it is all piecemeal and “just to fill the media with feel-good stories”. The planet will still get warmer, but there will never be a sudden mass extinction event. It will just be a gradual worsening, with no political urgency or will to act or change.
I wish you and your team all the best. Please keep up the good work.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
