KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 — A psychiatric patient allegedly stabbed an elderly man three times at Selayang Hospital, believed to be due to the former’s distress at the long wait for admission at the congested facility.
According to The Straits Times, the psychiatric patient became upset after being left at the hospital’s accident and 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 news outlet reported that psychiatric patient 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 require operation.
Increasingly in recent weeks, news reports have emerged detailing overcrowding at major public hospitals in the country as well as a general deterioration in the level of service, both of which have been blamed on the lack of funding.
Earlier today, Selayang Hospital was already in the news after the CodeBlue portal reported that its electronic medical record (EMR) system — introduced as the country’s first in 1999 — had broken down due to lack of upgrades and maintenance.
Citing doctors there, the portal reported that the development had already worsened both wait times and the level of patient care.
Earlier this month, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa conceded that the emergency departments at the country’s public hospitals were being overwhelmed, which needed immediate response in terms of increased resources and manpower.
