Dismiss health ministry staff who bully others, says health expert

Ken Looi / / News / October 28, 2024

Azrul Khalib says new guidelines on managing bullying in the workplace should include measures such as demotion or suspension for those found guilty.

PETALING JAYA: Appropriate disciplinary action, including dismissal, should be taken against healthcare staff found guilty of bullying, says the head of a health policy think tank.

However, Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy CEO Azrul Khalib said, the punishment should be commensurate with the severity of the offence.

“Such action could include demotion, suspension and even removal from service,” Azrul told FMT.

On Monday, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry will issue guidelines to its staff on how to manage bullying in the workplace.

The guidelines are aimed at raising awareness regarding workplace bullying, preventive measures and reporting procedures.

In a written parliamentary reply, Dzulkefly said the ministry would not tolerate bullying in the workplace.

He said such behaviour can decrease productivity, undermine employee morale and give rise to mental health issues.

Separately, Manipal Alumni Association Malaysia president Dr Koh Kar Chai said a robust monitoring system is essential to ensure that the guidelines are adopted throughout the ministry and at all its facilities.

He added that an independent body must be set up to receive and investigate complaints of bullying, and that such a move will be well-received.

“This issue of workplace bullying has been festering for a long time, with various ministers attempting to grapple with it. Do we dare hope that we will see progress this time?” Koh said.

He noted that while there are channels run by the health ministry and the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) to lodge complaints about bullying, these platforms have not been fully utilised.

Koh, a former MMA president, said healthcare staff may be reluctant to report cases of bullying due to a fear of repercussions.

Azrul concurred, stressing the need for whistleblowers and complainants to be given sufficient protection. He said the perception among many healthcare workers is that the current system “protects bullies and abusers”.

At the same time, he stressed, those who are accused of bullying should be given a fair chance to defend themselves against the allegations.

Dzulkefly’s parliamentary reply was in response to a question from Dr Kelvin Yii (PH-Bandar Kuching) on the ministry’s plans to end bullying in government healthcare facilities after reports suggested that a pathologist in Lahad Datu, Sabah, was driven to suicide as a result of it.

The health ministry has formed an independent task force to look into the case, investigate the work culture at the Lahad Datu Hospital and determine whether bullying is taking place there.

An MMA survey conducted last year revealed that up to 40% of 728 doctors from the public and private sectors nationwide may have been subjected to some form of bullying.

Links: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/10/27/dismiss-health-ministry-staff-who-bully-others-says-health-expert/