KUALA LUMPUR: Several doctors at a government hospital in Sabah have reported enduring severe bullying, including public humiliation, offensive remarks, and threats of violence from their unit heads.
Despite lodging complaints, the doctors said no firm action was taken against the perpetrators, who seemed to enjoy immunity.
Instead, they were warned that they might be transferred if they continued to speak out.
One doctor, identified only as Dr Alina, recounted being threatened with stabbing if she didn't comply with her unit head's instructions in the operating theatre, even though those instructions conflicted with surgical guidelines.
"I noticed issues with patient management under that unit head. When I raised concerns, I was threatened with removal from the unit.
"After that, I faced various forms of bullying, including being called a prostitute, a dog, and a fly," Dr Alina told Berita Harian.
Despite repeatedly reporting the issue to hospital management, no action was taken.
Another doctor, Dr Vic, also recalls a disturbing incident where the same unit head insisted on applying a dressing to the exposed brain of a cancer patient for weeks.
Dr Vic said when his colleague Dr Alina objected, she was publicly berated and eventually removed from the unit.
"Junior doctors and nurses were forced to follow orders to clean the patient's brain wound daily while the patient screamed in pain.
"No one dared to question the morality of that decision," Dr Vic said.
Their former colleague, Dr Jenny, who eventually left public service due to the relentless bullying, claimed that 11 medical officers resigned during her tenure because of the toxic environment.
She described being humiliated in front of patients and was told she would be removed from the unit due to alleged poor surgical skills.
Dr Jenny claims that the workplace was harmonious until a new specialist joined in July 2018.
Since then, she said, the environment became toxic. She and other medical officers filed a formal complaint, prompting a meeting with the unit head.
The Health Ministry, in response to the matter, has assured that it will investigate all reported instances of bullying and harassment at government hospitals, as highlighted by the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).
The Health Minister's office said that any actions undermining the integrity and reputation of healthcare services will be taken seriously.