KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 – Penang Hospital has apologised for its notice warning patients about a six-hour wait to see doctors at the Emergency and Trauma Department (ETD).
Penang State Health Department director Dr Asmayani Khalib said the ETD’s notice on September 29 was actually prepared for the Green Zone (non-critical cases) as there was a sudden surge in the number of patients on the particular night.
“However, the notice was not taken down after the peak period. Penang Hospital wishes to apologise for the error that may have caused public confusion,” Dr Asmayani said in a statement.
She said the Penang Hospital ETD received an average of 400 patients daily, of which more than 50 per cent were non-critical or emergency cases.
The government hospital also provides outpatient clinic services from 5pm to 10pm on weekdays and from 9am to 10pm on weekends and holidays to reduce congestion at the ETD.
Patients reportedly vented on social media on the inconvenience, according to The Star.
Facebook user Rosma Ismail said she could still see a doctor on time by driving all the way from Kuala Lumpur to the hospital.
Another Facebook user Nik Faiz said the federal government should work to better its public service delivery and efficiency by decreasing patient’s waiting time.
“Patients (with non-critical needs) can seek treatment at other public health clinics instead of crowding the ETD, which is meant for critical and emergency cases,” Penang health committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin was quoted saying by The Star.
