SUBANG JAYA, Feb 15 — Ministry of Health’s director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah clarified today that reason for the stabbing case of a psychiatric patient was not due to his prolonged waiting time at Selayang Hospital.

However, he added that he will review and strengthen the standard operating procedure for handling psychiatric patients to safeguard the patients in emergency departments.

"If the psychiatric patient was not brought to the emergency department but public place, he will also act out what he has done,” he told reporters here.

He said reports of the incident had been sensationalised by depicting the psychiatric patient as having been agitated due to the congestion at the hospital, and ignoring any underlying mental issues that may have contributed to the attack.

"The reason the police brought him to the emergency department was so he could be admitted to the psychiatry ward.

"The congestion is always there, but it’s the SOP that we need to review admissions in order to take care of other patients’ safety,” he said.

Yesterday, The Straits Times reported that the psychiatric patient attacked another patient after being upset that he was left at the hospital’s emergency department while waiting for a bed to become available in order for him to be admitted.

The hospital was reportedly full at the time, due to the overcrowding phenomenon currently ongoing at some of the country’s public health facilities.

The psychiatric patient reportedly obtained a knife from a staff pantry, before proceeding to attack the other patient, who was being treated for dengue, twice in the stomach and once in the back, causing serious injuries that required operation.

Selangor health director Datuk Dr Sha’ari Ngadiman confirmed the incident and said the victim is currently in stable condition after the surgery.

The perpetrator had been immediately restrained before being admitted to the hospital’s psychiatric ward.

Police have opened an investigation under Section 326 of the Penal Code for causing grievous hurt with a weapon.