Professor Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, the dean at the Faculty of Medicine Universiti Malaya, told a forum that it was no longer acceptable for those in a position of authority, be they specialists, lecturers, or consultants, to abuse their positions.

“Just like the recent stories of sexual harassment, we tend to sweep these things under the carpet. Those who behave badly should be sanctioned early. This is the first step we can take towards having a healthy and non-toxic work environment.

“You hear of consultants calling their juniors, students and interns ‘monkeys’, and other horrible things like this. We continue to hear this. They throw things in the operating theatre, which is dangerous as well. I think this is all completely unacceptable.

“Senior members of the team who demonstrate such behavior should be pulled aside and told off. Their privileges to work should be taken away,” Adeeba said during a panel session at the Conference on Physician Resiliency at Perdana University earlier today.

This comes after a report in the Sunday Star alleged that a department head of orthopaedics in a hospital in the Klang Valley had sexually harassed and made sexual advances against house officers.

An independent inquiry body has since been set up by the health ministry and the women, family and community development ministry to probe the allegations.

Adeeba said the issue as a whole could be nipped in the bud by calling out instances of harassment and bullying with a no-holds barred approach.

“I think this is one thing we don’t do well in Malaysia.

“This is because of the hierarchy we have and this ‘saving face culture’. We need to start speaking out. We can no longer be uncomfortable in calling out these things and start telling them off.

“The ones who are around these people are watching and emulating them. They might say, ‘If they can behave like this, then why can’t I?’ This is not right”.

After graduation, doctors undergo two years of housemanship before they can serve as medical officers or enter practice.

One of those interviewed in the Sunday Star report said a police report was lodged last year, but no action was taken.

Asked to suggest ways to eradicate such incidents, Adeeba reiterated that a policy change was needed and people must be willing to come forward and speak out.

As of June 25, 2018, a total of 9,058 medical graduates have been contracted by the ministry of health for two years.

A recent survey found that a majority of junior doctors and medical housemen in the country claimed to have been bullied at their workplace, with about 17% saying it was so bad that they thought of ending their lives.

This comes just three weeks after police began an investigation into a separate report by a houseman at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur against a senior doctor who was allegedly abusive.

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