Malaysian netizens question why medical worker who allegedly died of suicide was made to work 24-hour shift

A medical assistant was found dead at the motorcycle parking lot at the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in the Malaysian city of Ipoh on Wednesday (20 January), believed to be the result of suicide.

According to the New Straits Times, the man, who hailed from Chemor in the same state of Perak, was suffering from a health condition and had left a note saying he could no longer able to bear the problem.

The deceased also extended his apology to his family and friends in the note.

District police chief Assistant Commissioner A. Asmadi Abdul Aziz said that the deceased’s body was found in a blue hospital uniform, which was discovered by a security guard approximately at 6.45 pm.

“He died on the spot due to serious injuries on the head. One of his friends confirmed that the man was his colleague and found the note and a counselling card in the deceased’s bag.

“A witness also confirmed the deceased was on 24-hour duty on the day of the incident,” he said.

The case was classified as sudden death.

Several friends of the deceased told Free Malaysia Today that the late medical worker appeared to be sad in the days leading up to his death. However, they said that he did not share his problems with anyone.

Local media also reported that the deceased, who had been working at the hospital for over a year, was planning to get married in May.

Several netizens questioned the rationality of putting a man with an underlying health condition on a 24-hour shift, with one saying that the man “should have resigned”.

One commenter even said people “should not work more than 12 hours” daily as it could lead to deteriorating health.

Meanwhile, many others extended their condolences and stressed the importance of taking care of one’s mental health, reminding people to “seek help when needed”.

Family and friends should also talk to individuals who appear to be having problems, they said.