Verity journal

The Malaysian public has been shocked in recent months by cases involving medical practitioners abusing the trust and esteem we reserve for the profession.

In one case, a cancer-stricken woman’s condition worsened rapidly and eventually resulted in her death, when she followed the instructions of a fake doctor who prescribed alternative supplements. In another story, a senior doctor was unveiled as a sexual predator after allegations of his misconduct among hospital staff was exposed by the press.

The tragedy of both instances lies in how they could have been easily remedied by stronger regulations and monitoring of the staff in such institutions. Background screening, while slowly becoming the norm in many industries, have yet to become common practice in the medical profession.

Venerated professions such as doctors, lawyers, educators and engineers are usually held by a higher moral standard, which makes instances of misplaced trust even more damaging. All it requires is a simple consensual background check to ensure that those who hold this trust will not be the same ones to abuse it.

While a person’s qualifications may get them the job – pre-hire and continuous screenings have proven to be equally important in not only ensuring the quality of service given, but also for the safety and wellbeing of patients who place their trust in such experts.

Find out more on how you can protect your workplace by visiting www.verityintel.com. Verity Intelligence is an award-winning background screening company in Malaysia and Singapore.