Tetap garis masa siasat kes buli, gangguan seksual di hospital, gesa MMA

Persatuan Perubatan Malaysia (MMA) has urged the establishment of a clear timeline for investigating sexual harassment and bullying cases in healthcare facilities under the public health care system. MMA President Dr R Thirunavukarasu stated that such incidents should not be allowed to persist for months without resolution or recent developments.

He criticized the Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA) in Johor Bahru for setting up a special committee to investigate a sexual harassment complaint involving a medical practitioner at the hospital. The Johor State Health Department informed that the hospital received the complaint on August 28 and initiated an internal inquiry. They also reported that some individuals requested the complainant to withdraw their allegation.

The department emphasized that they will not compromise on any attempt to conceal or obstruct the complaint, nor will they exert pressure on staff to retract it. Dr Thirunavukarasu called for the Ministry of Health to strengthen existing complaint mechanisms, particularly concerning complaints involving senior staff. He noted that complaints involving senior staff should be reported outside the direct chain of command.

For serious cases, the investigative panel should include independent external members. Dr Thirunavukarasu also stressed that there should be no tolerance for retaliation or interference in the complaint process.