Up to 40 per cent of healthcare workers are bullied - MMA

SHAH ALAM - Around 30 to 40 per cent of healthcare practitioners in the state have reported experiencing various forms of bullying, according to the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).

Its president, Dr Azizan Abdul Aziz revealed that these were the findings from a survey involving 728 healthcare professionals from both public and private sectors, conducted from Sept 15-Oct 1.

The survey also revealed, remarked Dr Azizan in a statement today, that victims of bullying are often hesitant to file complaints due to fear and uncertainty regarding the process.

Shockingly, despite complaints being made, no action has been taken to address the issue.

“A total of 253 cases of bullying, with the highest number reported in Sarawak (15 cases), followed by Selangor (9 cases) and Perak (8 cases).

“However, 197 cases were reported from unknown states. Sabah and Melaka were not found to have any confirmed cases of bullying, based on the survey.

However, the absence of bullying reports in certain states does not necessarily imply an absence of cases,” she wrote.

The survey included 728 doctors from both the public and private healthcare sectors, with 476 being medical officers, specialists, or consultants (207), and trainee doctors (46).

Furthermore, the survey indicated that junior healthcare practitioners were often overworked, with around 60 per cent of junior doctors with less than two years of experience working overtime daily.

“Although only 20 per cent of doctors with more than two years of experience work overtime daily, 30 to 40 per cent still work overtime at least three times a week.

“In terms of overtime frequency, 35 per cent of doctors work overtime once or twice a week,” Dr Azizan explained.

She also noted that 32 per cent of doctors worked overtime three to four times a week, 24 per cent work overtime daily, and 9 per cent never worked overtime.

“This is particularly concerning as the resignation rate among contract doctors in Malaysia has surged by 1,131 per cent over the past six years, from 2017 to 2022,” argued Dr Azizan