So illogical I am speechless

I attended a meeting as a Paediatrics house officer representative with other specialist coordinators for housemen from all specialties and representative from the health ministry (KKM) to discuss about the implementation of the flexi hour system (working in shift).

Before I start, let me just say that in my hospital, unlike the KKM hospitals, there is no problem with excessive and overcrowding of house officers. We have just the right amount of housemen that at any one time so no one is idle. We have no complaint over the oncall system. We get to be attached to a team or a ward, our MOs and specialists see us every morning, we know the patient well and they can teach us something. Patient receives good care as the same house officers in the team who look after them from admission till discharge through to clinic follow up sometimes. We may be tired post call and might whine slightly, but we are happy with the current system as we are getting good training and patients are well looked after.

Then, in the meeting, this lady from KKM announced that the flexi hour system has been decided and all hospitals in Malaysia HAVE to implement it – there is no choice over this matter. It is an order from the Director General of Health – with a full stop written in permanent marker. No matter what we say now, the matter is closed.

Fine. In order to implement the flexi hour system, we will need more housemen to join us – at least 25-30 in each department. So, this hospital, which does not have a problem of overcrowding of housemen, will have such problem in the future, as we will be forced to take in more housemen just to fulfill this directive from the top. Rather than having the system to resolve a problem, we are creating a problem just to serve the system.

Nevermind that training will be compromised (even though the position house officer is created primarily for training).

Nevermind that patient care will be compromised.

Nevermind that the house officers themselves and their consultants who are immediately affected by this directive are all against it.

Nevermind that the mortality and morbidity rate will increase.

Nevermind that in the future the nation will be looked after by a generation of poor quality doctors .

As long as the flexi hour is implemented.

We argued at length. KKM wouldn’t budge. KKM said she receives letters from parents of house officers regarding their children working too long hours in the oncall system and those letters are often conveniently forwarded to the top shots like the health minister and the prime minister. On why these top shots think that they should entertain these parents, I am at a lost. (Separate post coming soon regarding this issue)  

I asked if I, and many other housemen who are against the flexi hour system, can also write similar letters to the KKM to counter these overprotective parents. The specialists and professors warned me not – fearing that my action would annoy the DG and I might end up not getting my full registration.

I became speechless at that point. Now I cannot even exercise my right to freedom of speech.

I am now more acutely aware that I am back in Malaysia. Sigh. Yes. Welcome back.

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