Are Lab Coats Necessary in the Tropics?

Doctors are required to wear lab coats in hospitals in Malaysia. But more often than not, only the lady doctors wear them for modesty's sake. I hated wearing them as they were hot and bulky. Most of the time our lab coats here are made of light cotton, but to me it never seemed practical as our climate is so hot and humid, unlike more temperate countries.
Moreover, we never have time to wash them, so they become blood splattered, vomit splattered, and other bodily fluid splattered! A fantastic petri dish culture medium for resistant bacteria and viruses!