KUALA LUMPUR: Abuse against healthcare workers will not be tolerated, and hospitals may stop treating patients who behave abusively or disruptively as long as the case is not an emergency, say health practitioners.
Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh said patients have rights when seeking treatment, but healthcare workers also have the right to a safe working environment.
“When there is disruptive behaviour, we can actually stop treatment, provided it is not an emergency.
“Patients have their rights, and healthcare providers also have their rights when delivering healthcare.
“There cannot be any sort of abuse,” he said during a press conference at the Hospital Staff and Patient Safety Conference here on Tuesday (Sept 15).
Dr Kuljit said healthcare workers could face verbal abuse, bullying, mobbing, physical violence and sexual misconduct in the workplace.
Such incidents could involve patients, fellow staff members or third parties entering hospital premises, he said.
“Sometimes patients can be physically abusive towards a healthcare provider.
“So we are training our healthcare providers on how to manage situations like this when they occur in healthcare, both in the public and private sectors,” he said.
Dr Kuljit said private hospitals have their own standard operating procedures, protocols and policies for dealing with disruptive behaviour.
He said many also have trained customer relations officers and other personnel who can step in when a situation escalates beyond what frontline staff can manage.
“A hospital is not a hotel or a hospitality space. People come to hospitals with the psychological trauma of being sick or unwell and with anxiety.
“All of that could sometimes contribute to violence or misconduct by a patient towards a healthcare provider,” he said.
However, he stressed that dissatisfaction with treatment should be raised through the proper channels rather than through threats or abuse.
“If there is a disagreement or something you are dissatisfied with, there are proper channels through which you can raise it.
“Abuse will not be tolerated,” he said.
Health Ministry Medical Development Division director Dr Nor Hayati Ibrahim said verbal abuse was the most common form of abuse reported in government hospitals.
She said waiting times were among the factors that could trigger anger among patients.
“Especially in government hospitals, waiting times can make patients angry,” she said.
Dr Nor Hayati said the number of reported incidents had remained static, although she acknowledged that some cases might go unreported.
“We do monitor the incidents and track the trends.
“So far, the numbers are not high, but there have been some cases,” she said.
Australian emergency physician Dr Charley Greentree said hospitals should emphasise prevention, risk awareness and verbal de-escalation when training healthcare workers to handle potentially violent situations.
She said staff should be equipped with the language skills and compassion needed to calm angry patients before situations escalate.
“But we also have to draw a line.
“If it escalates and there is a physical threat or danger, that is not tolerated in the workplace, even in healthcare,” she said.
Greentree said protecting staff was directly linked to protecting patients.
“To take good care of our patients and to keep them safe, we need to take good care of our staff and keep them safe,” she said.
