Plight of Junior Doctors

I found this to be a compelling read this morning, and one hope that steps are taken to change it.

I REFER to the letter “Act fast so our doctors can do their job” (The Star,April 17) and wish to make a slight correction.

The Public Services Commission (PSC) conducts special interviews for new doctors, dentists and pharmacists three to four times monthly, and not twice weekly as stated by the writer.

Nevertheless, I agree that the interview process does not pose any delay in the recruitment exercise as the candidates can apply online and book their prefered interview appointments well in advance and the procedures is explicitly displayed on the PSC’s website:www.spa.gov.my. And, true enough, appointment letters are issued to the candidates on the same day after the interview.

The plight and frustrations of the housemen and doctors in the government service have been highlighted several times in the media and yet scant attention has been given to ease their sufferings. They are also paid a pittance in salaries and allowances.

Your news report entitled “RM6,000 a month for docs after two-year housemanship” by Izatun Shari (The Star, March 6, 2008) and comment “Good way to keep government docs and housemen happy” by V.K. Chin (The Star, March 18, 2008) were happy news, but sadly, it has not been put in place until today and remains a dream. Would the Health Ministry and Public Services Department care to clarify?

Housemen and doctors in the government service have been suffering in silence for years without proper and adequate remuneration and allowances. The conditions they work in, especially in remote locations, are pathetic and deplorable. They deserve better.

Often enough, at least two to three times per week, they are required to work on a 36-hour on-call schedule on each occasion, and they are required to get back to work again the next day after merely 12 to 16 hours’ rest.

Incredible and unbelievable work pattern that contravenes international labour standards/practices and our own Employment Act 1955 that stipulates that “no employees shall be required to work for more than eight hours per day and if overtime work is required, it shall not exceed four hours per day.”

Currently, all medical graduates must undergo the compulsory two-year housemanship and a further three years of mandatory government service before they are accorded full registration by the Malaysian Medical Council.

Although on completion of four of the five-year compulsory service, the doctors are permitted to apply to do their masters/specialisations, it must be noted that they do not get any paid study leave nor fully paid sabbatical leave to pursue their masters, which is accorded to their counterparts in the government service. Instead, they are required to continue to go to work and be on long and protracted call duties.

It must also be understood that unlike other graduates who take three to four years to complete their undergraduate studies, medical studies take between five and a half years in Malaysia, the UK, India, Australia, etc, and six-and-a-half years in Indonesia, Russia, USA, etc to compelete.

The PSC and PSD have failed to acknowledge and recognise the difference between medical graduates and other graduates. And this is the very reason that the doctors are just lumped into the general 41 salary scale together with other graduates who are spared the mandatory five-year service and their undergraduate studies take a shorter period to complete.

It is high time that the Government established a Medical Services Commission to address the various issues, grouses and unhappiness of doctors.

FRUSTRATED & BURNT-OUT DOCTOR, 
Penang.

Friggatriskaidekaphobia

Hmmm ... that was I am sure a mouthful. Google the above term, and you'll come to its definition. It is the fear of Friday the 13th. And this year alone, there are 3 Friday the 13ths, today, last month and on the coming November. Why are people friggatriskaidekaphobic? If you count all the months in the last 400 years (that is 4800 months), the majority of 13th of the months actually are Fridays - 688 of them, with Sunday and Wednesdays close second at 687! So Friday the 13th are more common than we think and they should stop making frigging movies out of it!

This Friday the 13th also marked a milestone for me. My first ever day on call as a Consultant. Yes .... after tomorrow 8 am, I can say, been there, done that and worn the T shirt, providing everything runs smoothly till then. When I was a houseman, doing 56 straight hours on duty for the NHS I was complaining of too much work, and that my senior not doing much to help out. Then a year later, being a Senior House Officer (equivalent to Medical Officers in Malaysia), I complained that the Casualty Officers giving me incomplete referrals. Cursing them for not doing this and that!

Promoted to Registrar come with a different job description, and the one I hated most, taking on other specialty referrals! The Surgical Houseman found a lady with low blood sugar, what does he do? Call his SHO, and guess what he says? Call the Medical Registrar. So your job is reduced to taking referrals from other Housemans! Argh! When you turn up at their ward, they did not even bother coming up to you to tell you about the case. They were too busy setting lines etc!

Hey! I am now doing Consultant calls. So what had happened today? 10 am, call from Department. You have a referral, an 83-year-old with a broken hip in the Orthopaedic ward. They were planning to take her to theatre but noticed that her blood pressure a bit high. Had to get a medical consult prior. Presto, that's where I come in. Saw the lady. She was known to have high blood pressure and she was writhing in agony with her hip pain! Imagine how high my blood pressure went when all that needed giving was some painkiller meds ... and may be a slap on the face of who ever decided to call me! Ha!

Time to hit the Casualty floor to see what's cooking then. Wish me luck! And may your Friday the 13th be a lucky one!