Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa (center) visiting the new emergency and trauma department building at Balik Pulau Hospital in Penang. With her Penang State Health Director Dr Fazilah Shaik Allaudin (third right).
BALIK PULAU: An internal investigation of the recent death of a 10-year-old girl in a Klang public hospital, allegedly due to negligence, is being carried out.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said when any complaint is filed, the procedure requires an internal investigation to be conducted.
"The one on this case is ongoing," she told a press conference at Hospital Balik Pulau here on Tuesday (July 18).
She was visiting the newly-built Emergency and Outpatient building which houses the Emergency, Outpatient, Forensic and Pathology departments.
ALSO READ: Cops investigating death of 10-year-old girl in HTAR
Asked about claims by the girl's father that his daughter was alive when brought to the hospital, Dr Zaliha said the ministry would wait for the police to conclude their investigation of his report.
"We have been advised not to comment until the investigation is over," she added.
Dea Maisarah Bada, 10, allegedly died while receiving treatment at the government hospital.
The matter has gone viral on social media, with the hospital being accused of making a false report on the child's death by saying that she was brought in dead.
It was reported that Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan confirmed receiving two reports about the recent death at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR) Klang, and an investigation had begun under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.
ALSO READ: Health Ministry still awaiting police report on 10-year-old girl's death, says Dr Zaliha
On a separate case in Kuantan where a two-year-old disabled toddler died five days after he was warded at Hospital Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Temerloh, Dr Zaliha said the ministry was looking into it.
In a viral social media post, a woman believed to be the child's mother said she was not blaming anyone but was upset at the manner in which her son was treated.
She hoped doctors would be more alert when attending to their patients.
The woman claimed that her son was in critical condition less than three hours after being treated at the Lurah Bilut health clinic and was very weak when he arrived at the Hospital Bentong emergency unit, where he was intubated.
On a recent case at Hospital Melaka where a two-month-old baby allegedly experienced swelling of the hand while receiving measles treatment, Dr Zaliha said the hospital was conducting a thorough probe.
A social media user, believed to be a relative of the child, questioned the actions by doctors at the hospital which allegedly caused swelling and pus on the infant's hand.
