By: Murray Hunter
On April 21, Dr. Noor Hisham is scheduled to retire as director-general of Malaysia’s Ministry of Health after 35 years service — his last act becoming a hero to many during the Covid-19 pandemic, a public figure known to almost all due to his TV briefings. He would be named by China Global TV Network (CGTN) as one of the world’s top doctors fighting the coronavirus alongside Anthony Fauci of the United States and Ashley Bloomfield of New Zealand. He is now said to be under consideration to become secretary-general of the World Health Organization, However, there are dark sides to his legacy, not least the shambolic condition of the agency he heads, with many in public healthcare describing it as a ‘toxic’ system whose deficient leadership has resulted in staff shortages and overworked and underpaid professionals and support staff throughout the nation. Underfunding, the product of a lack of leadership in constructing adequate budget requests, has resulted in chronic bed shortages, a lack of specialists in many areas, insufficient equipment, and poor emergency response times. Staff also complain of bullying, sexual abuse, and even sexual assault, sometimes leading to suicides and no ministry effort to correct it. A Code Blue poll undertaken nationwide of 1,652 government healthcare professionals and support workers showed that 95 percent believe the system is in crisis. More than 72 percent are looking for jobs outside. Noor Hisham's attitude has been described as condescending towards those who planned on striking, being reactive, rather than proactive… The text above is just an excerpt from this subscriber-only story.To read the whole thing and get full access to Asia Sentinel's reporting and archives, subscribe now for US$10/month or US$100/year.This article is among the stories we choose to make widely available.If you wish to get the full Asia Sentinel experience and access more exclusive content, please do subscribe to us for US$10/month or US$100/year.
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