Sabah Health Dept addresses claims of no proper treatment in viral video, clarifies Kota Marudu patient chose private care after referral

Sabah Health Dept addresses claims of no proper treatment in viral video, clarifies Kota Marudu patient chose private care after referral



Sabah Health Department director Dr Maria Sulaiman said the department has conducted an internal investigation into a viral video claiming a critically ill elderly patient was not properly treated at Kota Marudu Hospital. — The Borneo Post pic

Monday, 17 Feb 2025 5:21 PM MYT


KOTA KINABALU, Feb 17 — The Sabah State Health Department has conducted an internal investigation into a viral video claiming a critically ill elderly patient was not properly treated at Kota Marudu Hospital.

State Health Department director Dr Maria Sulaiman said it was confirmed that the patient arrived at the Emergency and Trauma Unit of the hospital between 9am and 10am accompanied by family members.

After undergoing medical assessment and clinical evaluation, the patient was categorised as Green Zone (non-critical) and advised to seek treatment at the Outpatient Department.

She said the patient’s family was briefed on the treatment procedure at the Outpatient Department including registration and queueing processes before receiving further care.

“However, they chose not to proceed with registration at the Outpatient Department and opted for treatment at a private facility instead,” Dr Mariah said in a statement today in response to the video.

She said Kota Marudu Hospital became aware of the viral video around 11am on the same day and immediately contacted the patient’s family.

“The hospital director personally reached out to the family to express concern and assurance, stating that the patient was welcome to return for treatment if needed.

“The patient’s family clarified that the individual who recorded and circulated the video was not associated with them and was unknown to them. Following this clarification, the social media page that posted the video removed it at the family’s request,” she said.

Dr Maria said the State Health Department remains attentive and committed to providing the best possible healthcare services to all individuals seeking medical attention at public health facilities.

The triage system implemented in all hospitals under the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MoH) ensures that patients requiring urgent care receive priority treatment.

She added that in the effort to further enhance service delivery, the Health Department will continue to strengthen the triage system, improve operational efficiency, and increase public awareness of treatment procedures.

“The department urges the public to verify information from official sources and refrain from spreading unverified claims that may cause confusion.

“For any healthcare-related complaints, the public is encouraged to use official MoH channels to ensure proper action is taken,” Dr Maria added.

The viral video showed an elderly woman lying on a concrete bench in Kota Marudu accompanied by her family members.

A man could be heard on the video claiming Kota Marudu Hospital had refused to treat her as only those with appointments would be attended to. — The Borneo Post