I write this letter with a heavy heart, seeking the understanding and support of the public. Doctors in the Malaysian government service are facing an unbearable crisis.
We are overworked, underpaid, and suffering from a severe shortage of staff. The lack of new doctors and the departure of many from the service have left us with an overwhelming burden.
We are struggling to cover work meant for many more hands, resulting in exhaustion and further resignations, creating a vicious cycle.
Every day, we come in early and leave late, unable to claim overtime for the extra hours we toil. In some departments, the situation is so dire that we are forced to do on-calls two to three times a week, with on-call rates as low as RM9.30 per hour.
We are at our breaking point.
We hope the public will empathise with our plight, recognising that we are only human, with families to feed and human limitations that are being pushed to their extremes.
Despite our repeated attempts to communicate our grievances to our superiors and the Ministry of Health, our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. If this situation continues, the government health service will inevitably collapse.
We, as doctors, are dedicated to serving our patients and ensuring their well-being. However, at this rate, we may not be able to hold on much longer.
This is a heartfelt plea to the public: please help us to help you. We need you to raise your concerns with the government and push for policy changes that will improve our working conditions, retain existing doctors, and hire more doctors, especially those whose contracts have ended.
Your support is crucial in driving the necessary changes to sustain our health care system.
Together, we can ensure that the Malaysian health care system remains strong and capable of providing the care that every citizen deserves.
Please help us to help you.
The author is a medical officer at a government hospital in the Klang Valley. CodeBlue is providing the author anonymity because civil servants are prohibited from writing to the press.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
