MMA president Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira lauded the guidelines as the “fruition of repeated calls on the need to foster safe and respectful working environments for healthcare workers across the healthcare system”.

“We hope these guidelines will not only provide clear procedures for reporting and handling cases, but also bring about real change on the ground.

“For healthcare workers to have confidence in the system, it is vital that complaints are not only addressed with urgency, transparency and fairness, but also in a manner that brings about closure for all affected,” he said in a statement today.

Kalwinder said the new rules will mark the beginning of a “zero-tolerance culture against bullying in our healthcare services”.

He also stressed the need for past cases, such as the purported bullying of several doctors in Sabah last year, to be resolved as quickly as possible.

Yesterday, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad launched the new guidelines, which outline the appropriate methods to handle and investigate reported bullying cases for ministry staff and department heads.

Complaints about bullying can be channeled through the ministry’s MyHELP system and integrity units. Victims of bullying, meanwhile, can only file reports through the public complaints management system, or Sispaa.

Dzulkefly said the guidelines will be distributed to health ministry facilities nationwide, with the ministry to monitor their effectiveness.