The reported no-shows of medical officers posted to Sabah and Sarawak should concern the Ministry of Health (MOH), but perhaps not for the reason many assume.
The immediate reaction may be to ask: why are doctors refusing to report for duty? The more uncomfortable question is: why are doctors increasingly prepared to walk away from government service rather than accept the way the system treats them?
Malaysia has built a health care system that has achieved broad universal coverage and is recognised internationally for its significant health gains.
It would be a tragedy if such an important public institution becomes internally unhealthy because its management culture has failed to evolve.
