MP urges therapy, counselling for junior doctors
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok has called on the Health Ministry to set up therapy and counselling units for medical officers, including junior doctors.
This follows the death of a junior doctor who was suspected of committing suicide on Apr 17 after working as a house officer for two weeks at the Penang General Hospital.
“I applaud the Health Ministry’s move to set up an independent task force to investigate reports of...
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok has called on the Health Ministry to set up therapy and counselling units for medical officers, including junior doctors.
This follows the death of a junior doctor who was suspected of committing suicide on Apr 17 after working as a house officer for two weeks at the Penang General Hospital.
“I applaud the Health Ministry’s move to set up an independent task force to investigate reports of junior doctors and allegations of bullying in medical fraternities, but more importantly, the ministry should take the mental health of medical officers seriously.
“Revelations by junior doctors on social media about the workload and stress they face as house officers show that quite a few of them suffer from stress and depression.
“At the same time, the aggressive behaviour or bullying culture by some senior medical officers in hospitals towards their juniors also indicates that these seniors have attitude problems and need psychological help,” she said in a statement today.
She added that setting up counselling units would be in line with the Health Ministry’s National Strategic Plan for Mental Health 2020 to 2025.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said yesterday that he had received a preliminary report on the death of the junior doctor from the head of the deceased’s department.
The deceased had apparently plunged from the 23rd floor of an apartment, which led to several news reports speculating that the incident may be linked to the bullying of junior doctors.
For now, the police have classified the case as “sudden death” and a full medical report has yet to be prepared.
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