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IT is sad reality that doctors are considered to be professionals but not treated as one in their practice.For example, there are many levels of doctors, some are house officers, medical officers, clinical specialists, consultants, head of departments, some are academics and in private practice.

We need to realise that not every doctor is an administrative post.

Doctors in lower levels work in similar environments as semi-skilled employees in other departments. But while semi-skilled workers have the right to form unions, doctors are not allowed to form one under the Trade Unions Act 1959.

With the Malaysian Medical Association deregistered, doctors are at a loss as to how work-related issues affecting them will be brought forward to the relevant authorities.

For example, as professional government servants we do not even subscribe to Socso automatically.

Thereby what happens if a doctor dies during duty (the ones who met with accidents in ambulances over the years), or what if the doctor contracts a communicable disease during work? Do they get retraining in a low-risk field?

Can he or she choose not to treat a patient since there are no clear provisions on what happens when one comes into contact with with blood borne illnesses in the line of duty?

What happens to the future of a trained professional (surgeons) when they have a communicable disease?

While other emergency services like the military have the Veteran Angkatan Tentera Malaysia to look into these matters, doctors do not have any association.

So much for the care of house officers and the thoughtfulness to introduce a shift system.

What happens to the senior medical officers and some clinical specialists who are doing in-house hospital calls for 36 ours straight? Who decides when one is tired and unable to perform optimally?

The list of questions goes on.

While trying to empathise with our patients we have failed to empathise with our colleagues.

While our subordinates the nurses have a Nursing Union to raise issues affecting their welfare, the doctors have no association.

Suffice to say it is time for doctors to unite and look into these welfare issues affecting their profession.

This may be initiated at a higher level, perhaps by the Health minister.