Johor hospital denies claim pregnant woman was neglected in ’empty emergency room’

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sultanah Aminah Hospital management has clarified that a pregnant woman, alleged in a viral video to have been left waiting in an empty Green Zone treatment room, was attended to according to clinical priority.

It said that doctors were managing critical cases at the time.

In a statement today, the hospital director said she received an initial assessment and treatment at the triage counter before being sent to the treatment zone for further observation.

The director said the woman, accompanied by her husband, arrived at the Emergency Department around 5.45am on Tuesday complaining of bleeding.

“Checks revealed that there were three medical officers on duty in the Green Zone at that time. However, during the incident, the attending medical officers were managing several other clinical cases that required immediate attention,” the statement read.

It added that Green Zone medical officers have a wide scope of duties, which includes checking patients in the Green Zone, the Asthma Bay, the Monitoring Room, and Yellow Zone 2, as well as leading the Rapid Transport Team for critical Red Zone cases.

Despite the temporary absence of doctors in that specific room, the hospital said that the patient was treated according to clinical priority.

“A medical officer examined the patient at 8.00am.

“The patient was confirmed to be in stable condition after receiving appropriate assessment and treatment, and was discharged with medical advice at around 9.00am,” the statement added.

The hospital acknowledged that crowded emergency departments can cause anxiety and high emotions for patients and their families, but assured that it will continue to focus on communication and improving customer experience.

“The hospital also wishes to emphasise that all patients who come to the Emergency Department are assessed and treated according to their clinical emergency levels to ensure that those requiring immediate medical attention are given due priority.

“Any feedback or complaints should be directed through the official channel of the Ministry of Health Malaysia’s Public Complaints Management System (SISPAA),” it said, adding that the public should not record or publish content involving patients, healthcare workers, or treatment areas without permission, as this can breach privacy and violate ethics and regulations.

Earlier, a video surfaced online where a man claimed his wife was left waiting three hours for treatment and had become weak.

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المصدر: New Straits Times