Litany of complaints at government hospitals
(The Sun Daily) – Pinang Tunggal assemblyman Datuk Roslan Saidin today lined up three examples of Malay patients who were allegedly refused treatment by Chinese doctors but none of them could substantiate his claims.
The press conference called by him ended up with them alleging they were called names, scolded, misdiagnosed and allegedly refused treatment but not one of the patients identified the doctors as being Chinese.
Roslan had claimed in the state assembly recently of instances where Chinese doctors had refused to treat Malay patients.
Shahidah Saad, 27, told reporters that she had experienced severe pain in her right leg and sought treatment at the Seberang Jaya Hospital on May 28.
She said she believed that the metal plates, inserted after an accident in November 2012, needed to be fixed but added that she was shocked when the doctor told her to wait for three weeks for her treatment.
“How can I wait for three weeks? I was in terrible pain and as a single mother I have to take care of my child,” she said.
The jobless mother said she sought Roslan’s help to get the operation done, and is now pain-free and using a walking stick to move around.
Hamid Salleh, 66, alleged that a doctor at the Kepala Batas Hospital in June had called him a pigfor not taking his medicine even though he had run out of supply.
“I could have punched him but I restrained myself,” said Hamid, who suffers from heart disease, hypertension and a thyroid condition.
Norzawani Zakaria, 28, said she had complained of nausea and dizziness when pregnant but was told that it was normal by a female doctor at the Kepala Batas Hospital on May 29.
She sought a second opinion at a private hospital which referred her back to Kepala Batas, and was only warded at the critical care unit for an eye condition after seeing three doctors there.
In an immediate response, State Health Committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin thanked Roslan for finally lodging a report on the matter.
“I urge the Health Ministry and the Malaysian Medical Council to expedite the investigation into this matter,” he said in a statement, adding that action should be taken if the allegations proved to be true.
