M’sian Junior Doctors Complain of Bullying & Overworking Leading to Suicidal Thoughts

For Asian families, being a doctor is the ultimate profession and elevates their status among others. However, the reality of working as a doctor may not be all that it seems to be on the surface. A group of junior doctors at a district hospital in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia have spoken out about being allegedly bullied into overworking, verbally abused, and even getting depression as a result.

As reported by Malay Mail via Utusan Malaysia, ‘Dr A,’ as a junior doctor wished to be known, spoke of allegedly being forced into working way beyond the usual working hours. They said that they have even been on duty for 24 hours a day, and additionally had to be on call, which means they can be recalled for on-duty status even though they are free to go home.

This situation stemmed from the fact that the hospital was critically understaffed with medical officers. This led to junior doctors having to take on tasks even though they were still undergoing medical training.

No time to take leave

“I once fell ill and had to undergo treatment in a ward, requiring me to take medical leave. Because I took medical leave, we were forced to find a replacement, and as a ‘penalty,’ the housemanship training period was extended by the length of the medical leave taken,” he said.

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The junior doctor explained that they are entitled to eight days of annual leave during a four-month period (one work rotation) and are also eligible for replacement leave if they work on public holidays. However, it took a lot of work for them to get approval for their leave.

Verbal abuse & suicidal thoughts

The man said they were frequently verbally abused by senior medical officers, even including nurses. This mainly happened in cases where the patients’ conditions were beyond the junior doctors’ control.

“I’ve cried many times because I couldn’t bear being verbally abused with inappropriate words, especially if a patient died while I was on duty.”

Is good pay and a career worth it if it is at the expense of your mental health? “I used to be very brave and active, but after becoming a junior doctor, my character has changed, and I’ve become afraid to speak out. I’ve experienced such pressure that I even had suicidal thoughts,” he shared.

Giving up

“My group saw many quit because they couldn’t handle the pressure and the toxic work environment. We once made a complaint to the department director, but the issue seems to have been ignored without any action,” he added.

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He said that some junior doctors allegedly made the drastic decision to give up on their housemanship training even though this could potentially affect their qualifications to become doctors.

The Health Ministry should take action

The man ended by saying, “We junior doctors are also human, not machines. We have families, responsibilities, and we need enough rest, food, and sleep to save the lives of patients. Humans cannot work more than 20 hours a day with only three hours of rest. This is about our welfare and our lives.”

He also urged the Health Ministry to take this issue seriously, as it could impair the potential of young talents in the medical field.

Have you heard of any junior doctors facing this issue?

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