Across all boundaries

THE practice of medicine throughout the world and throughout the history of mankind and medicine has always gone beyond and across all borders and boundaries. Medicine has been and must be totally free from discrimination, with disregard for race, religion, culture, status and even nationality of the patient. The doctors, nurses and all involved with healthcare are trained and ingrained to be free from any form of prejudice, and are effectively colour-blind.

To every doctor who continues to swear by the Hippocratic Oath, upholding professionalism, integrity and quality in healthcare, there is no difference and no differentiation whether the patient under his care is black, white, yellow or brown, whether the patient is Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Christian or atheist. He does not differentiate between a murderer, rapist, terrorist or any ordinary person as all are accorded equal and the best available medicine and care. Even in war, there are many stories of medical personnel treating victims from both sides of the war front.

It would be a very, very sad day in this country or anywhere in the world when medicine and the practice of medicine is influenced by race, religion, culture or colour. Politics and governmental decisions should never come into the practice of medicine.

While it may be natural and within the right of any government in the world to employ doctors according to the national, cultural or needs in the country, it would be absolutely unacceptable, intolerable and discriminatory to say that the Ministry of Health of Malaysia favours the employment of any segment of society based

on race or religion. The Association of Specialists in Private Medical Practice of Malaysia strongly objects to the statement by the Minister of Health suggesting that employment of new doctors will be based on any particular race, over other races. We seek assurance from the government that all the house officers under training be granted a secure post, as has been so in the past.

The problems faced by the junior doctors have reached such a state of desperation, forcing them to consider a strike. The country is still in need of doctors, more so in the current pandemic and for many years to come. It is a very unfortunate and tragic situation that many young doctors are not being offered permanent posts when healthcare remains high on the list of social responsibility of the government.

This indeed is a national crisis that has remained unresolved for many years now, forcing doctors to seek other temporary employment including driving Grab cars.

Dr K.H. SNG

President

Association of Specialists in Private Medical Practice Malaysia