Policy on Work Ethics & Code of Conduct

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the Code of Ethics of KPJ Healthcare Berhad is to serve as a standard of conduct for all staff. It contains standards of ethical behavior for healthcare employees in their professional relationships. These relationships include colleagues, patients or others served; members of the healthcare employees’ organization and other organizations, the community, and society as a whole.

All KPJ Healthcare Berhad employees shall act in a manner consistent with ethical principles established in this policy. Employees shall perform their duties with integrity, honesty, fairness and diligence; and adhere to the highest principles of dignity, respect, and confidentiality for a wide variety of people they encounter to include patients, families, staff members, community representatives, and a network of external providers.

2.0 OBJECTIVE

The fundamental objectives of the healthcare management profession are to maintain or enhance the overall quality of life, dignity and well-being of every individual needing healthcare service and to create a more equitable, accessible, effective and efficient healthcare system.

3.0 SCOPE

This policy is applicable to all employees of KPJ Healthcare Berhad and its Group of Companies. (“KPJ Group”) (“Employees”) (“KPJ”)

4.0 RESPONSIBILITY

Each employee will be responsible to adhere to ethical guidelines as established in this policy and other supporting policies. They are to perform their duties in align with KPJ core values of Safety, Courtesy, Integrity, Professionalism and Continuous Improvement.

We further recognize and understand this this responsibility extends to all patients, their families, staff, the community, and a wide network of external systems and providers.

5.0 POLICY STATEMENT

5.1 This Code of Ethics incorporates standards of ethical behavior governing individual behavior, particularly when that conduct directly relates to the role and identity of the employee.

5.2 DUTY OF EMPLOYEES

5.2.1 Duty to the profession

All Employees shall:

  1. Conduct professional activities with honesty, integrity, respect, fairness and good faith in a manner that will reflect well upon the profession
  2. Be fit for duty during work time, including on-call responsibilities;
  3. Comply with all and regulations pertaining to the Private Healthcare and Facilities Act 1998 and other related bylaws and legislations;
  4. Maintain competent and proficient in their profession through yearly training programmes and continuing professional education;
  5. Avoid improper exploitation of professional relationships for personal gain;
  6. Disclose financial and other conflicts of interest;
  7. Respect personal confidence;
  8. Do no harm to other colleagues;
  9. Refrain from participating in any activity that demeans the credibility and dignity of the healthcare management profession;
  10. As professionals, perform and fulfil duties consistent with the principles, values and obligations established in our applicable professional code of ethics and are subject to sanctions from the same;
  11. Promptly report to supervisor, any individual who may be impaired in his or her ability to perform assigned responsibilities due to any cause (e.g. emotional issues, substance abuse)

5.2.2 Duty to patient and family rights (Kindly refer to Policy on Patient Safety and Family Rights and Patient Grievance Mechanism Plan, where applicable)

All Employees shall:

  1. Encourage, support and respect the right and responsibility of all individuals to assert themselves and ensure patient safety and the quality of care;
  2. Protect all patients from any form of abuse, neglect, or exploitation;
  3. Be sensitive, responsive, and respectful in the care of individuals who are dying, address treatment of primary and secondary treatment, effectively manage pain, and respond to individual’s and their family’s specific needs;
  4. Maintain the highest level of patient confidentiality at all times;

5.2.3 Duty to organization

All Employees shall within the scope of his or her authority:

  1. Safeguard the property of the Company;
  2. Protect and defend the image and credibility of the Company;
  3. Provide healthcare services consistent with available resources, and when there are limited resources, work to ensure the existence of a resource allocation process that considers ethical ramifications;
  4. Recognize our position of public trust and will represent our services and capabilities fairly and accurately to the public;
  5. Be truthful in all forms of professional and organizational communication and avoid disseminating information that is false, misleading or deceptive;
  6. To advise patients about their financial responsibility to the hospital, if any and perform all billing and reimbursement practices with honesty and accuracy utilizing detailed accounting procedures;
  7. Report negative financial and other information promptly and accurately;
  8. Prevent fraud and abuse and aggressive accounting practices that may result in disputable financial reports
  9. Create an organizational environment in which both clinical and management mistakes are minimized and, when they do occur, are disclosed and addressed effectively;
  10. Uphold and monitor compliance to the organizational code of ethics;
  11. Shall not accept any gifts from patients, their families or friends, vendors or from any other source associated with the performance of their duties that has any potential to influence or able to create a perception of influence.

DUTY OF EMPLOYERS

Duty to Employees

The organization has ethical and professional obligations to the employees they manage that encompass but are not limited to:

  1. Creating a work environment that promotes ethical conduct by employees;
  2. Providing a work environment that encourages free expression of ethical concerns and provides mechanisms for discussing and addressing such concerns;
  3. Providing a work environmental that discourages harassment, sexual and other; coercion of any kind, especially to perform illegal or unethical acts; and discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, creed, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability;
  4. Providing a work environment that promotes the proper use of employees’ knowledge and skills;
  5. Provide ethics resources to staff to address organizational and clinical issues;
  6. Providing a safe working environment through the implementation of safety policies, procedures, personal protective equipment (PPE), etc. in adherence to Occupational Safety & Health Act 1994 and all its relevant regulations, bylaws and guidelines;
  7. Establish appropriate grievance and appeal mechanism

6.0 BREACH OF POLICY

Breach of this policy will result in the respective disciplinary action as laid out in the KPJ e-Handbook and KPJ/TM/10-Policy on Handling Employee Misconduct

7.0 SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

This Code of Ethics policy will be used (but not limited to) the following supportive documents, where applicable:

  1. KPJ e-Handbook
  2. Kod Tatakelakuan dan Etika Bisnes Johor Corporation
  3. KPJ Corporate Integrity Pledge
  4. Private Healthcare and Facilities Act 1998
  5. Code of Medical Ethics, Malaysian Medical Association (MMA)
  6. Code of Professional Conduct, Malaysian Medical Council (MMC)
  7. BY-LAWS (on Professional Ethics, Conduct and Practice) of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA)
  8. Patients and Family Rights Policy
  9. KPJ/TM/02 – Policy on Dress Code
  10. KPJ/TM/09 – Policy on Handling Employee Grievance
  11. KPJ/TM/10 – Policy on Handling Employee Misconduct
  12. KPJ/TM/11 – Policy on Sexual Harassment
  13. KPJ/TM/15 – Policy on No Gifts and Entertainment
  14. KPJ/TM/19 – Policy on Whistle Blowing
  15. KPJ/TM/27 – Policy on Password Safety & Security
  16. KPJ/TM/28 – Policy on PDPA