KUCHING: Health services will continue to be available to those in need of treatment at hospitals, regardless of their identification status.
The assurance comes from Sarawak Health Department director Dr Ooi Choo Huck.
He was responding to a case involving a Sarawakian cancer patient who purportedly could not get treatment at the hospital after her MyKad was confiscated by the National Registration Department (NRD) in November last year.
“The individual mentioned in the case, was a 62-year-old cancer patient under the treatment and monitoring of a surgeon at Miri Hospital.
“It is said that Miri Hospital had performed several procedures in treating the patient, including imaging on Feb 15 this year; surgical procedures on Feb 17 this year; and a follow-up imaging on Mar 20.
“In terms of treatment and examination, the hospital has provided appropriate services to the patient, and the patient has also been given a follow-up treatment appointment at the specialist clinic of the hospital on Apr 17,” he said in a statement.
Dr Ooi stated that the patient also received treatment at Lawas Hospital Emergency and Trauma Department (ETD) on Apr 1, where she underwent an examination and was referred to an on-call medical officer before being given the appropriate treatment.
Hence, Lawas Hospital has continued to provide its services to this patient regardless of her MyKad registration status and her nationality, he said.
In addition, the department has also contacted the patient’s daughter and confirmed that both Lawas and Miri Hospitals had never refused to treat her mother.
