No compensation for doctor killed in action
I just read about Dr. Norbaizura Yahaya’s story in the Star. This is a sad event. My condolences to the family.
The Ministry of Health does not provide any mechanism to compensate junior doctors in the event of an injury or death due to an accident while on duty. Whenever, patients need to be transferred from one facility to another, an appropriate personnel will accompany the patient. If the patient is very ill, a doctor needs to go along. There’s no complain about that, it’s all in the line of duty.
I recall my medical officer days in Sarawak when we had to transfer patients to another hospital. The ambulance run took 2 hours each way by pot-hole infested, winding roads, usually going above the legal speed limit, often in the dead of the night. Sometimes the driver had to go 2 trips in a row. That’s 4 hours to-and-fro twice. Can you imagine how tired he must have been?
Once, an ambulance went off the road. The driver and the patient were killed and the accompanying nurse became paraplegic (paralysed from the waist down). Treatment was, of course, free of charge. However, there was no accidental insurance coverage for them.
Usually the most junior doctor in the hierarchy will be the one to accompany patients during transfer. Being a junior officer in the civil service, before confirmation, these doctors are not eligible for compensation. Only the officer’s own personal accident insurance will provide the relief for the family.
What’s more, I remember the days when we went of flying service. Doctors and medical teams fly frequently in Sarawak’s Flying Doctor Service and medevac services. Medevac heli’s have crashed before. They are not immune to the laws of gravity. The helicopters employed for these services are chartered aircraft. If you’ve read your personal accident insurance, you’ll notice that chartered flights are not covered by most P.A. policies.
I wonder what the Ministry of Health has done to alleviate the uncertainty of junior doctors and other pre-comfirmation medical staff in terms of compensation when accidents happen.
Accidents do happen even to ambulances. Photo from the net.
That is sad…
i oso remember my time as a houseman..ish..had to send pt fr Kuantan GH to KLGH..fuhhhhhhh..4 hrs…n the stoopid ambulance had to rosak half way ( i guess rosak is better than accident la)..then..the O2 tank ran out..2 pulak tu…panik sial la..sum more i was not supposed to accompany the pt one..wat to do..sooi la , bad luck..cos it was a sunday n they kenot find anyone else…think of it oso..now blood boiling..beladi hell…the pt..haihss..ok one…dun even nid a dr to go ..just becos my boss knew the pt’s father…nid to gip special service..menyampah..
Wah, u masih ingat sampai sekarang kah? Cool down, OK? Sorry to bring back those painful memories.
I was once a MO in Kedah’s district hospital, and was very often asked to accompany patients to the referral hospital unnecessarily, especially paediatric cases. Hate those paediatricians! Dengue case also need MO! Once I was too tired (post-call) and I didn’t accompany a patient whom I thought was very stable. I was called up and screwed up.
Hi cytusm, welcome. I guess they set their standards very high high. Better safe than sorry eh? Paediatricians and their paeds MO’s tend to be very “hyper” personalities. Us normal ppl become surgeons and dermatologists.
gua tarak paham. what about insurance cover from the ambulance motor policy?
motor policy covers more than only the vehicle.
Yes, but then… that’s assuming the vehicle is insured.
Hrrmmm … if the job has high occupational risk, one should get the staff insured. Malaysia Occupational Safety and Health Act? Employment Act? Not sure if public servant is allow to form Union. Collective voice is louder!
There’s an OSHA in Malaysia. Doctors don’t have a union. The closest thing we’ve got is the Malaysian Medical Association.
Pheww!! Lucky we dental officers (back then) no need to accompany pts… Passive call only. Quite safe;)
Poor houseman. I guess u need these incidents to happen.. open the eyes of those of the higher authority to start doing something about it. Think of the lives lost..Doctor pulak tu…Sad;(
Dentists are exposed to many occupational hazards too, blood aerosols, sharps, drill noise, poor ergonomics etc. The employer (in this case, the MOH) has a responsibility to put in place protective measures and mechanisms for compensation when occupational injuries or diseases do occur.
Unfortunately, this young lady’s family was left high and dry by virtue of her junior status in civil service.
SK?the higher authority will not do anything.
They will rather give a few millions to those whom will draw some votes
no insurance ah? lidat tiok tua kee ledi.
Ya lorr
Here’s another commentary on the situation on my friend, Dr. George’s, blog.
Doctors are pricey to train and a resource to the country. It is just unacceptable to have such bias policy. Anyway, there is the rule but I’m sure there is an exception. Under compassionate ground?
Right on the mark… this is something which has to be done out of compassion, not compulsion.