GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government has urged the Health Ministry to set up a special committee to probe the death of a houseman attached to the Penang Hospital last month.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the special inquiry committee was important to identify the cause of the incident and to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents in the future involving trainee doctors nationwide.
"The Health Ministry and relevant authorities must step forward immediately to explain what had happened.
"At the same time, they must overhaul the whole management system, if the need arises, especially involving the working hours of doctors in the medical institutions at present," he said.
Chow said the Health Ministry should not keep quiet and allow the matter to prolong.
"Strategy and solutions need to be expedited," he added.
The houseman reportedly fell from a building along Jalan Datuk Keramat here on April 17.
The houseman had only been posted to the Penang Hospital on April 4.
Police have so far classified the incident as sudden death.
Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Soffian Santong had said that police have not ruled out the possibility of the case being reclassified if fresh evidence comes to light.
The Penang Health Department had yesterday urged the people not to speculate on the incident.
State Health Department director Dr Maarof Sudin had said the department and the Penang Hospital would extend their fullest cooperation to the police to aid their investigation.
Lawmakers in the state had also urged the Health Ministry and the state Health Department to explain the death of the houseman.
The Malaysian Medical Association, in a statement yesterday, had called for everyone to allow the authorities room to investigate the case.
MMA president Dr Koh Kar Chai expressed hoped that while investigations are being carried out by the authorities, the privacy of the family will be respected and the incident will not be sensationalised.
He also urged healthcare professionals experiencing any personal issues to reach out to MMA's HelpDoc - a support group for doctors.