PUTRAJAYA: Several specialists attached to the Penang Hospital are among five alleged "bully doctors" named in a list sent to the Health Ministry.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin today said he has seen the names submitted by Penang health committee chairman Dr Norlela Ariffin and investigations would be conducted by the ministry's Integrity Unit as well as an independent task force.
He added that the investigations would take several weeks to conclude and it involved serious accusations.
"It is about bullying and also unprofessional work culture. (The investigations) This will involve interview sessions with the complainants and the alleged specialists as well.
"We will look into the results of these two investigations before we take action. For justice to be served to all, there must be a transparent process and the reports will be submitted to me.
"Pending (the investigations), we cannot simply just suspend or transfer these doctors as some of the names sent to me are specialist level doctors. We have to establish what had taken place.
"So for now, they will be on duty as usual and the investigations must go on," said Khairy today after attending the International Nurses Day 2022 celebrations, here.
Also present was Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
Khairy said he would not chair the independent task force and will announce further details as well as terms of reference tomorrow.
Norlela yesterday said Khairy had replied to the list she had sent to the ministry.
She described the five as the "most famous toxic ones".
The five names, however, are not linked to the death of a 25-year-old houseman attached to the Penang Hospital who fell from his rented apartment unit at Jalan Datuk Keramat.
Police have classified the case as sudden death and have not ruled out the possibility of it being reclassified if fresh evidence comes to light.