ADUN SPEAKS | Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced the formation of the Healthcare Work Culture Improvements Task Force (HWCITF) to investigate the work culture that contributes to the bullying of junior doctors and others.
The task force would not have been established if not for the death of a house officer attached to the Penang General Hospital.
Two years ago there was another death of a trainee doctor.
There was a hue and cry not just about the deaths of house officers but also about the work culture in public hospitals.
It was in this context there was full media coverage of the phenomenon of bullying contributing to mental stress among house officers.
Senior doctors and the public authorities in hospitals and the ministry were lambasted for not taking the matter of bullying seriously.
It was the media coverage that resulted in the formation of the task force headed by a former civil servant with eight other members.
However, the Health Ministry has not given a full appraisal of why these people were chosen and not others.
The task force has been given two months to complete its investigation of the hospital work culture and the house officer’s death.
It was not the case of the nonsensical “sudden death” as attributed by the police.
Is it independent?
While the formation of the task force with its lengthy abbreviation is welcome, something better than nothing, there are obvious problems that might detract the task force from performing its entrusted duty.
There are nine reasons why the task face described as “independent” might not be that independent after all.
First, the task force composition does not give the impression that its members are going to be independent of the interests and biases of the government.
The very fact that they were chosen and not others might question their independence. The head of the task force is a former civil servant.
She might have the expertise working many years for the government but will she steer the task force on a more objective path immaterial to the interests of the government?
Second, the nature of representation is another drawback. There is no representation from NGOs and from among trainee doctors or organisations that seek to represent them.
Why this was not factored in the selection process would remain a mystery, although there is still time to change that.
Third, isn’t it strange that all these years the Health Ministry and the public hospitals have been oblivious to the pervasive culture of bullying and humiliation in public hospitals?
Although it is acknowledged that the bullying culture was known to the authorities, it was allowed to fester with disastrous consequences.
My question is - how come the health authorities were unaware of this vicious culture to the extent the media had to highlight it?
Didn’t the health authorities have the benefit of procedures and mechanisms in place to launch their own internal investigation? Why wait until the media exploded on the matter?
Can it end bullying culture?
Fourth, the mention of “task force” conjures an image that such an initiative might dissipate at a particular juncture.
I am not saying that the task force on bullying is sure to fail, but past similar initiatives seemed to have failed miserably.
There is no guarantee that the present task force on bullying is going to emerge with resounding success, but an opportunity must be given.
Fifth, the Health Ministry cannot task the present committee with a set of guidelines to be fulfilled and yet call the members independent and objective.
Sixth, the task force gives an appearance that it is more of an internal investigation committee rather than one established to make its findings public in the larger interests of the nation.
What guarantee is there that the findings of the task force, if found unpalatable, might be made known to the public?
Seventh, it is well and good to set up a task force to investigate the nature of work culture in hospitals, but what assurance is there that the mere punishment of a few doctors will end the deeply embedded culture of bullying that is hierarchical?
Eight, I frankly believe that the present task force, given its composition and objective, might not be able to investigate and recommend actions that will end the bullying culture once and for all.
The task force might engage in firefighting but might not put out the fire permanently in public hospitals.
I hope it is not a mere public relations exercise by the government.
Ninth, the problem with the task force is not the task force or its composition, but a government in power that is not serious about solving the problems of the nation.
Even the most competent and knowledgeable task force might not address the problem if there is no political will.
I think, I hope I am wrong, there is a deficit of political will with the present back door government to do the needful for public hospitals.
A government that came to power through the back door, including its health minister, might not have the legitimate credentials to do things right.
