A private hospital with no caring heart Yesterday, I was distracted by many phonecalls that kept me updated on the media frenzy surrounding Noh Omar's 'Go Home' statement and the PM's seething anger over him. But, throughout the day, I was more upset seeing the ugly side of a foreign-owned private hospital in Cheras, which doesn't even wink staring at a life dying at its doorstep. Yes, I am still very angry with what I read in The Malay Mail yesterday. Two nights ago, as I was following TV3's news coverage on Noh Omar, I stumped onto visuals of DPM Najib's wife, who was sobbing uncontrollably. It was the story about 18-year-old Khairul Anuar Salim (picture left), who got killed for acting chivalry. Khairul was with a friend outside the petrol station in Taman Muda, Cheras, while two of his cousins went into the mini-market to buy a phone card. Two men on a motorcycle confronted the couple and started teasing the girl. Khairul, who speaks very little Bahasa Malaysia as he had spent his entire schooling life in international schools, chided the men in English. This angered the duo and one of them slashed him with what is believed to be a sickle. Khairul succumbed to his injuries some two hours later at a private hospital. Now, it wasn't because the private hospital wasn't well equipped to save his life. According to Sallehuddean Latiff, the uncle of Khairul, his nephew could have been saved if doctors at the private hospital attended to him immediately. But the hospital demanded money upfront - No Money, No Treatment! I quote The Malay Mail: "They wanted me to pay a deposit of RM5,000, saying his injuries were serious. I was not carrying so much money on me at that time," he said. "They did not want to admit him until I paid the deposit, not even when I pointed out that this was an emergency." Sallehuddean said he pleaded with the hospital staff but they would not budge. He then returned to Khairul’s house in TTDI to pick up his grandmother. "When I returned 30 minutes later, Khairul was still not treated. I had an argument with the hospital staff and when his condition worsened, they took him into the operation theatre. "He was only treated an hour after he was taken to the hospital." Sallehuddean said a doctor came out an hour later and told the family that Khairul could not be saved. He claimed the hospital did not want to release his body until the bill was settled. When Khairul died, both his parents were overseas. I weep for Khairul and his family for the bereavement, as much as I weep for my country for being so lenient towards bloody money-suckers who run private hospitals in Malaysia. Their shareholders should wear black armband when they attend the next AGM, and hurl tough questions at the Singaporean management about their corporate governance. Being humans, they need to be humane. source: jeffooi.com full story: http://www.jeffooi.com/archives/2005/12/post_21.php
and as it mentioned there 'a foreign-owned private hospital in Cheras' ??? any idea which hospital was that?
