KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) has established an independent task force to investigate the death of a pathology specialist at Lahad Datu Hospital, effective October 10.
The Special Investigation Team, chaired by former Public Service Department (JPA) director-general Borhan Dollah, will be tasked with conducting a comprehensive probe into the circumstances surrounding the death of Lahad Datu Hospital UD52 pathology specialist Dr Tay Tien Yaa from suicide and reviewing the work culture at the Sabah district hospital.
The panel comprises experienced professionals outside the MOH, including experts in medicine, psychiatry, pathology, and mental health.
Members include Prof Siti Hamisah Tapsir, former Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (MOSTI) secretary-general; Dr Azman Abu Bakar, former deputy health director-general; Mohamad Fazin Mahmud, a retired public service legal advisor; Prof Dr Looi Lai Meng, senior consultant at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC); and Prof Dr Chan Lai Fong, a senior psychiatry consultant at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
Borhan retired as JPA DG in 2019 while Siti Hamisah previously chaired the Healthcare Work Culture Improvement Task Force (HWCITF), which released its report two years ago under former Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
The ministry outlined four key areas for the task force: investigating the incident, identifying signs of bullying at Lahad Datu Hospital in general and at the hospital’s pathology department specifically, analysing internal and external factors that may contribute to bullying overall in the MOH, and preparing recommendations to manage and prevent future incidents of bullying in health care facilities.
The team will submit its findings and suggestions within three months.
“The MOH is committed to improving the work environment to ensure it is more harmonious and conducive,” Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said in a statement today. “We are confident this effort will yield positive results and get cooperation from all MOH personnel.”
The inquiry comes after mounting concerns about bullying within the public health care system. In recent years, several cases have emerged, raising questions about workplace culture in the country’s public health facilities.
