Going for the ‘kill’
Dzulkefly: Recommendation made to revoke his credentials
The Sungai Buloh Hospital specialist accused of sexual harassment had been warned in the past to stop the ‘nonsense’. He is now slapped with a two-month suspension as recommendation is made to the Malaysian Medical Council to revoke his medical practice licence.
SUNGAI BULOH: A recommendation has been put in to revoke the medical licence of the Sungai Buloh Hospital specialist implicated in sexual harassment accusations, said Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
The orthopaedic head of department (HoD) has been suspended by the Public Service Commission for two months effective Sept 17, added the minister.
“This would enable further investigations to be carried out by the relevant authorities,” he said in a press conference yesterday after a two-hour closed-door meeting with the hospital’s medical officers and specialists at the orthopaedic department.
Dr Dzulkefly said the decision on the suspension was based on the Health Ministry’s recommendation to the commission which was forwarded by the ministry’s secretary-general last week.
On Sept 11, the HoD was reported to have taken medical leave until Sept 18 and the ministry was said to be working to have him suspended and transferred out of the hospital.
Dr Dzulkefly said that the accused started work as the HoD when the hospital was established in 2009.
In July, The Star carried an exclusive report in which house officers alleged that they were bullied and sexually harassed by the HoD.
In response to the article, Dr Dzulkefly asked victims to directly e-mail him the details of their claims, and a committee comprising representatives from both the Health and the Women, Family and
Community Development ministries was set up to look into the matter.
Dr Dzulkefly also said that the Malaysian Medical Council is working on getting his medical practice licence revoked.
He assured those doctors affected that he would reduce the “collateral damage” from the case and that there would be no transfers as of now.
“I understand that the doctors are anxious and I have assured them that we will do our level best to restore a good and viable run-
ning department,” he said.
On Sept 10, The Star carried a front page report about specialists who said that they had received telephone calls from an official that all the staff in the orthopaedic department would be transferred but Dr Dzulkefly had refuted the claim.
He also said that each of the cases will be evaluated fairly and justly and action will be taken against those responsible.
“It will not be a blanket decision. We will minimise the collateral damage,” he said, adding that the
ministry will carry out remedial measures in the best interest of the department.
As for the other measures, Dr Dzulkefly said that they will be disclosed soon.
He said that 31 meetings had been held and 38 witnesses have stepped forward to testify on the sexual harassment.
Asked if the hospital was aware of the complaints before they were highlighted by The Star, Dr Dzulkefly said that there were complaints in the past but they were not handled swiftly.