I am disappointed by the article “Response to Sibu Hospital Medical Officer’s Letter”, published on CodeBlue.
Instead of supporting the doctor who courageously voiced the systemic changes needed to improve the welfare of health care professionals and, consequently, the quality of patient care, the author chose to threaten the platform that facilitates the sharing of such grievances.
As a specialist who previously served in a rural hospital with inadequate manpower, I fully understand the limitations faced by the medical officer who wrote the letter.
Working more than 100 hours per week is unfortunately quite common in resource-limited centres. Some doctors are forced to endure continuous on-call shifts for five to seven days in a row.
Yes, you heard that right — it’s back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back on-call, amounting to a grueling 120–168-hour work week.
This gruelling schedule doesn’t even account for the mental fatigue and physical exhaustion endured while trying to maintain heightened sensitivity in high-pressure situations. For these immense efforts, we are paid a meagre RM9.16 per hour — an amount that is lower than the wages of some fast-food workers.
Studies have consistently shown that sleep deprivation adversely affects emotional stability and decision-making capabilities. How are doctors expected to “improve their own practices and foster a patient-first approach” when they cannot even maintain their sanity due to chronic exhaustion?
These inhumane working conditions not only endanger the health and wellbeing of doctors but also jeopardise the safety of their patients.
Instead of dismissing these legitimate concerns, we need to focus on addressing the root causes of overwork and burnout. This involves implementing policies that ensure adequate staffing, fair workload distribution, and support for all health care workers.
By acknowledging these systemic flaws and working collaboratively to resolve them, we can hope to build a health care system that prioritises both the well-being of its providers and the quality of care delivered to patients.
To be fair, some institutions have recognised these limitations and started to take measures, such as channelling patients with less severe conditions to nearby clinics (Klinik Kesihatan).
This intervention helps reduce hospital congestion and allows health care workers to prioritise patients with life-threatening conditions requiring urgent intervention and prolonged monitoring.
Unfortunately, as is often the case in Malaysia, the execution and planning of such measures are poorly communicated to the public.
Consequently, some patients feel neglected and unsupported, highlighting the need for clearer messaging and better public education to ensure these initiatives are understood and appreciated.
The author is a specialist doctor who is working in the public health service in Pahang. 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.
