With the latest scandal of ambulances running out of petrol resulting in another avoidable death, the Health Minister, Datuk Dr. Chua Soi Lek should inform Parliament tomorrow what shake-up he had initiated to end the mounting public criticism of outrageous ambulance emergency services and response time to give top priority to saving lives.
Friday’s New Straits Times reported the scandal-cum-tragedy of Yusnita Abas, 31, wife of a factory worker, Ghafur Mohd Ibrahim who said his wife would be alive today had she received prompt medical treatment, including efficient ambulance service.
Although on the fateful day, she went to the Kepala Batas Hospital at 1 pm after being advised by a private doctor, she was not attended to until she lapsed into a semi-consciousness state around 6 pm.
Doctors later realized that Yusnita was suffering from a ruptured blood vessel and ordered that she undergo a CT scan at the Seberang Jaya Hospital. Ghafur was told that that Yusnita would have to undergo emergency surgery at the Penang Hospital if the CT scan showed there was a blood clot in her brain.
This is Ghafur’s harrowing tale:
It was later confirmed that there was a blood clot, but the ambulance that had rushed his wife to the Seberang Jaya Hospital was unable to take her to the Penang Hospital.
The driver said the ambulance was in a bad condition and he needed to take another one from the Kepala Batas Hospital, so they drove back.
When they reached the hospital, they were told that all the ambulances were out of petrol.
It was close to 10pm by the time the problem was sorted out, and they only managed to take his wife to the Penang Hospital about 10.45pm.
His wife was pronounced brain dead by the time they arrived at the Penang Hospital. Yusnita died two days later.
The doctor told Ghafur that his wife could have been saved had she been brought in for surgery earlier.
The second question during Parliamentary Question Time tomorrow is one asking the Health Minister the number of deaths in the country which had occurred in ambulances while enroute to hospitals.
Chua should explain how could such an outrageous and scandalous situation arise where all the ambulances at a hospital had run out of petrol as to cause an avoidable death.
In this connection, Chua should also inform Parliament why he was happy with 30-minute response time for hospital ambulances, when the Health Ministry’s director-general Tan Sri Dr. Ismail Merican had said that any ambulance response time that was longer than 15 minutes was unacceptable.
Chua had given this response following public criticism over businesswoman Zara Davies Abdul Rahman’s traumatic experience in trying to get accident and emergency help from Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Klang to save an accident victim’s life near the Batu Tiga toll booth on Dec. 13 last year, but in vain.
#1 by raven77 on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 4:30 pm
The problem is both Chua and Merican are hopelessly defocused and have no set of priorities. They tend to dwell on what’s easy to do and of course sometimes resort to subtle bullying and blackmailing people like food operators and even their own doctors as in the PHFSA. These horrendous bungles that are costing unnecessary loss of life is bound to continue as long as these dungus run this show. LKS in parliment should insist that an important service such as health be run by well trained professionals and not these HP6 civil servants.
#2 by Tai Lo Chin on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 4:59 pm
Factory worker’s wife, Yusnita Abas was at Kepala Batas Hospital at 1pm, but was not attended to until she lapsed into a semi-consciousness state around 6pm. Why was she not attended to for 5 hours in Kepala Batas Hospital? Why was it that she could undergo a CT scan only at Seberang Jaya Hospital and not Kepala Batas Hospital? Then why would Yusnita have to undergo emergency surgery at the Penang Hospital and not Seberang Jaya Hospital unless Seberang Jaya Hospital had no neuro surgery team to perform it? Then only it was found out that ambulance was in a bad condition and ambulance driver he needed to take another one from the first hospital, Kepala Batas Hospital and that’s where it was found out all the ambulances were out of petrol there.
What does this show?
Seberang Jaya Hospital – got CT scan but no neuro surgery team;
Kepala Batas Hospital – no medical attention, did not have CT scan, did not have neuro surgery team, did not even have petrol in its ambulances.
In response to victim’s husband Ghafur s letter demanding explanation, Kepala Batas Hospital director Dr Mohamad Sabri Othman in his reply dated March acknowledged the incident and expressed his condolences.
NST reported :“He informed Ghafur that the hospital had taken several administrative steps to ensure that a similar incident did not recur. These included disciplinary action against some staff and more stringent monitoring of the log book for ambulances.The officers in charge of ambulances at the hospital were also directed to ensure proper maintenance of the vehicles and ensure they were never out of petrolâ€Â. Ghafur said he was not satisfied with the explanation and planned to sue the hospital for damages.
This is, from Kepala Batas Hospital director’s admission in writing, a cut and dry case – the hospital is negligent and has to pay damages.
The incident is also an indictment of the whole medical service in the country, and by extension the Health Ministry. It is scandalous.
Datuk Dr. Chua Soi Lek : whats happening ? This Kepala Batas Hospital is supposed to be the nation’s first hospital to integrate modern and traditional & complementary medicine.
Pak Lah : what is happening? I understand that you hail from Kepala Bata town!
This is a country interested in grandiloquent dreams where appearance and form take precedence over substance. Billions will be spent to make the Iskandar Southern Corrider a first-class global hub for business, living and leisure. Yet when it comes to simple medical services for rakyat, the hospital in Kepala Batas from which present prime minister hails, has no CT Scan, no surgery team, no petrol in its ambulances. This mix up of priorities shows kampung third world mentality tries to wear first world hat. Shame, shame shame.
#3 by ipohfly on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 5:10 pm
Another underlying issue from this is the lacking of professionalism in our medical fields. If the ones that are carrying out the implementation of our emergency services are professional and experienced, they ought to be alert enough of such issues and deal with it.
Perhaps someone who’s had experienced working in ER could spare us some thoughts….But sadly, is there really a difference we could make out of this?
#4 by kowtim on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 5:15 pm
They thought that ambulances run on water.
#5 by izrafeil on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 5:58 pm
ya la… projek billion billion tapi yg dah ada tak tau nak maintain! STUPID betul gomen ni!
#6 by smeagroo on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 7:03 pm
NO money to buy petrol but tons of millions to fly a man to space and millions wasted on white elephants which are born one after another courtesy of the govt.
Our condolences.
A timely reminder to us all that we are living in a messed up country and system and will only become worse if we keep giving them the majority power.
#7 by Cinapek on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 7:24 pm
The only redeeming factor here is the honesty of the Kepala Batas Hospital Director in admitting that the hospital is at fault.
But this is not to going bring Yusnita back to life. The reply given by the Hospital Director in giving assurances that action will be taken is typical in all these cases. Always shutting the gates after the cows has bolted. And you know what will happen? Two months down the road, all these will be forgotten and the culprits get away scot free.
The husband must sue the Govt. and make them pay. The Health Minister and his DG should also take responsibility and publicly apologise to Yusnita’s family face to face . And those directly responsible should be punished with dismissals and demotions or whatever the GO allows. In addition, if legally they can be charged in court for criminal negligence leading to the death of a person, this should also be done to send a strong message to the others.
Last but not least, the Health Ministry must learn from this lesson and implement immediate measures to tighten up the ambulance service so that Yusnita’s death has not been in vain.
#8 by negarawan on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 7:31 pm
This sad and shocking incident reflects on how BN mismanages the whole country. After spending billions of ringgit of taxpayers’ money, the return on investment is almost zero. The main problem is because there is no quality, integrity, and honesty in BN, and in the cronies BN put in charge. The unjust sufferings caused by corrupted BN on innocent civilians will one day be “returned” to those who have been irresponsible, selfish, and merciless.
#9 by undergrad2 on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 7:45 pm
“He informed Ghafur that the hospital had taken several administrative steps to ensure that a similar incident did not recur. These included disciplinary action against some staff and more stringent monitoring of the log book for ambulances.The officers in charge of ambulances at the hospital were also directed to ensure proper maintenance of the vehicles and ensure they were never out of petrolâ€Â.
These are public admissions of negligence on the part of the hospital or hospitals. The husband of the deceased or her next of kin ought to pursue legal action in negligence. If this case were to occur here in the United States, damages would be in the millions of US dollars.
#10 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 7:54 pm
Ghafur said:”….all the ambulances were out of petrol.”
How many ambulances were there at the hospital? Who is responsible for the maintenance of these ambulances?
YB, Ghafur should be advised that the situation merits some further action e.g. he could explore with his lawyers the possibility of suing the hospital authorities in tort for negligence.
Because of ‘no petrol’ (maybe a couple of hundred ringgit for ‘all the ambulances’), the government may lose tens or hundreds of thousands for such negligence.
To be fair to Chua Soil Lek, he is not the Ministry’s petrol pump attendant but the overall responsibility for the Ministry stops at his desk, so Chua is without excuse and cannot hide his face behind some hsopital linen.
BN Ministers are good at giving excuses and explaining things away whenever things go wrong. The right thing to do is to take responsibility and make things happen RIGHT! Excuses do not leaders make. Pak LAh blames the civil servants. Now Chua SL will also blame the civil servants. SAmy Vellu also blamed the civil servants. Why are we then increasing salaries and benefits for civil servants? Who is running the cvil service? Is the civil service on autopilot whilst all Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Secretaries Generals are dozing off or playing golf?
#11 by undergrad2 on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 8:13 pm
There is no need to politicize the issues. It is a simple case of negligence.
#12 by undergrad2 on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 8:14 pm
The same can happen under DAP/PKR administration.
#13 by k1980 on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 8:47 pm
To undergrad2:
The same can happen under DAP/PKR administration provided the health minister appointed by the above administration is as incompetent as the BN’s Chua, which is to say extremely unlikely. If you ask Pak Lah, he’ll say “says tak tahu” because he never goes to Kepala Batas Hospital for treatment even though it is next to his house– he’ll take the RM30million private jet and seek treatment in Australia or the US. (Guess with whose money)
#14 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 9:01 pm
The malaise is the lack of professionalism in sectors under government’s responsibility including in this case Health services and facilities. How could a hospital not maintain and ensure its ambulances have petrol to run? Where else in the world has one heard such a thing happening (except perhaps Baghdad under US air strikes)? If something as basic as petrol is not even filled in the ambulances, can we reasonably expect them to be maintained with the standard equipment to handle medical emergencies? If you say Hospital director is useless, who puts in there and upon what criteria?
#15 by undergrad2 on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 9:07 pm
It is more urgent that the roles of individuals involved in the case be examined and their resignations called for.
The Health Minister perhaps should take some of the blame and resign. His resignation is of course unlikely to be accepted by the Cabinet.
Compensation should be paid to the next of kin.
#16 by undergrad2 on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 9:09 pm
“If something as basic as petrol is not even filled in the ambulances, can we reasonably expect them to be maintained with the standard equipment to handle medical emergencies?”
It is obvious that there are other Ministries involved. I do not care to speculate. Should the Ministers concerned also resign?
#17 by hasilox on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 10:47 pm
Are there SOP (standard operating procedures) for all govt hospitals and actions taken to ensure they are followed? With all the ridiculous events happened one after another, it is less confusing to imagine govt hospitals are like ‘pasar malam’.
#18 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 11:15 pm
When the U. S. Veterans Hospital was recently found to be in bad state, the Generals that were responsible were quickly dismissed.
Why were the ambulances in ‘bad state’? No money? But we have money coming out of our ears, according to our government. We have record foreign reserves and money to give to our contractors and national service and BM High School.
Why were the ambulances empty of petrol? Don’t we produce oil? We subsidise desiel and petrol to our farmers and fishermen but not ambulances?
What goes on? Inefficiency. No accountability. Laid back attitude. No urgency. Typical everyday Malaysian lifestyle.
#19 by greenacre on Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 11:28 pm
I can imagine the pain of losing a mother. Despite 40 years passing by I still can’t get over the death of my own mother.
It has become common place in hospitals and ambulance that tyres seems to burst too often and now without petrol. Here it is not the hospital has no money but simply because the ambulance driver just didn’t care to maintain a tip top ambulance and the hospital authorities rarely take action as the procedure to discipline a government servant is cumbersome. One nagging thought seem to cross the mind ,it is common I have heard before…they draw out the petrol using a long hose to use for their own car/motorcycle. Check it out. They also collect some petrol in jerrycan while filling up the ambulance but billed of course the public.
#20 by DarkHorse on Monday, 26 March 2007 - 12:08 am
”..it is common I have heard before…they draw out the petrol using a long hose to use for their own car/motorcycle. Check it out. They also collect some petrol in jerrycan while filling up the ambulance but billed of course the public.”
The result of the culture of corruption having developed roots over the years. This is a poor man’s ‘contribution’ to a culture encouraged by decision makers at the top.
#21 by dawsheng on Monday, 26 March 2007 - 12:29 am
Yusnita Abas died a cheap death, and that is how cheap life in Malaysia can be under the BN government. My condolences be with Sdr Ghafur, be strong.
Our desires for an efficient public services remain a pipe dream. Although this issue has gone through numerous and endless public debates, but we still unable to convince Malaysian, that BN, especially with Abdullah, and his public delivery mechanism, has to be admitted to intensive care unit for complete overhaul. But overhaul only when something an be save, we all know for the fact that it is beyond repair.
I have lost confident in this administration long ago, and I hope Malaysian will put aside the issue of race, which is the cancer that strike our nation since independance, and look foward for the next GE, and elect a goverment that serves it citizens, look after their well-beings and not killing them.
#22 by Jururawat on Monday, 26 March 2007 - 12:39 am
First of all, my condolences for the family of Madam Yusnita. It is just pure irresponsibility not to make sure all the ambulances are filled with petrol, especially when land transport is of the utmost importance. Were the ambulances once filled with petrol but somehow disappeared overnight and to where ? This shows that there is something dreadfully wrong in Kepala Batas Hospital. The staff there have been sleeping for far too long already. Somebody here commented the mighty bosses tend to dwell on what’s easy to do. I would rather think that the mighty bosses introduce something new but many of their subordinates have to struggle with this new thing because there was not enough time for preparation and introduction and the resources are always not enough. Then they demand results and fast results too. They do not know that they are creating conflicts instead of sayang
( love ) among the staff. There is no clear definition of work. What is documented is different from what is being done. When there is not enough staff or when the staff has an attitude problem, somebody else has to be the scapegoat and be Jack of all trades but master of none.
#23 by raven77 on Monday, 26 March 2007 - 1:12 am
Under the new act shouldnt the hospital director be fined RM300,000 and or jailed six years…..how incredibly negligent and dumb can you be….Who is in charge of this hospital section. DG, Deputy DG????Someone has to go..This lady died an unnecessary death…..
#24 by malaysia born on Monday, 26 March 2007 - 1:57 am
This has got to be the worst case of negilence !!! An ambulance running out of petrol!!! What next, i wonder?
To the family of Yunita Abas, my deepest condolences and thoughts are with you….She need not had died in such a manner.
Whoever is in charge of the maintanence of the ambulances, To ask you if you have any conscience is just a plain waste of time so i guess i will just hope that you and your family burn in hell!!!
Anyone out there still feel proud being a malaysian????
#25 by ihavesomethingtosay on Monday, 26 March 2007 - 4:28 am
Put MCA jokers as a minister and a bunch of wet excuses comes:
with the previous one involving NIPAH virus and the compensation payment, we still read that some of the affected families are still waiting for the money. hopsital built but cannot be use!
with this current one, cheap unnecessay deaths are happening such as unattended emergency call, and running out of petrol. Again hospital built are still not usable.
one joker was a lawyer and this one is a doctor, both had screwed up big time…..
so, it;s time for you to go!
[deleted]
#26 by Ah Hong on Monday, 26 March 2007 - 8:27 am
just put a petrol tank in the hospital specially for ambulance ONLY. then can avoid this so called drivers for ambulances lepak outside during pumping of petrol at petrol station.
#27 by tsn on Monday, 26 March 2007 - 10:55 am
What I worry the most is the hospital is with high expenses of petrol, but the petrol is not in ambulance petrol tank, but someone elses’ vehicles. Who knows? Corrupt and greed to the core. anything will possible, everyone will be suffering, only when is your turn? The poor have the luck to suffer and die 1st.
Our government is proud with our rate of motor vehicles ownership, but majority of the car owners are with meagre income, with today cost of living, most of them are struggling to meet end needs. So every genius,Tom, Dick & Harry is very good in cari jalan, most of the time is “jalan senget”. Vision country-Mati kerana ambulance tak ada minyak, banyak lucu.
#28 by raven77 on Monday, 26 March 2007 - 11:17 am
It’s the system man, the system. Ambulance drivers have been known for a longtime at the MOH to siphoning off petrol for their own use….and everyone right from the DG to the attendant at the MOH knows this but no one does anything about it. The system is long gone and had degenerated into a mafia ages ago. Our health managerial system is hopeless…they only know how to spend ax payers money….buying lots of unnecessary stuff especially software….he health minister or the DG or the DG responsible for hospitals has to go. This country has become a laughing stock and incidences like this is affecting our image.
#29 by DarkHorse on Monday, 26 March 2007 - 11:54 am
Ambulances without petrol??
I though ambulance chasing is business for the lawyers and that lawyers would have to chase ambulances all the time to survive.
#30 by incubus on Monday, 26 March 2007 - 1:02 pm
“When they reached the hospital, they were told that all the ambulances were out of petrol.”
I find it suspicious that “all” the ambulances were out of petrol. I wonder how the ambulances got there in the first place. Did all the petrol mysteriously disappear overnight? Obviously the petrol is being sucked dry by thieves not only the expense of the tax payers money, but now their lives as well.
#31 by k1980 on Monday, 26 March 2007 - 1:48 pm
Next to happen in our great bolehland:(1) Operating theatres run out of anesthetics in the middle of surgery, causing the victims to wake up and scream bloody murder
(2) Oxygen tanks run out of oxygen in the emergency wards
Wait till these achievements enter the Guiness Book of Records
#32 by outsider in own country on Monday, 26 March 2007 - 10:17 pm
this only means one thing. it all depends on what is the gomen’s priority. in this case, the rakyat’s lives are definitely not one of our gomen’s priority!! malaysia boleh!!!
#33 by naked taliban on Tuesday, 27 March 2007 - 12:09 am
Many years ago stealing of foodstuff from GHKL kitchens , now petrol from ambulances , next maybe MRI , CT Scan equipment.PENCURI !!
#34 by patriotic1994 on Tuesday, 27 March 2007 - 8:39 am
Australian government gone extra mile to improve their ambulances service. See this news:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6494117.stm
#35 by pongsakling on Tuesday, 27 March 2007 - 2:18 pm
Why blame our Health Minister? How can he do the micro management? Please be fare to him. Do all of you vote for a minister to take care of ambulance maintainance? drain maintenance? road maintenance?
This simple procedure to take care and maintain the ambulance
should be responsible by the head of respective hospital, what are the hospital director in Kepala Batas and Seberang jaya doing?
Shame on them, they are the one who should resign! If not they should be sack.
#36 by palmdoc on Tuesday, 27 March 2007 - 4:58 pm
Interesting comment by Tai Lo Chin that the Kepala Batas Hospital will be one of those which will “integrate modern and traditional & complementary medicine”
I suspect they will now revamp their ambulance services to become
“Alternative Ambulances”
And this is what Alternative Ambulances look like:
http://medicine.com.my/wp/?p=1634
#37 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 28 March 2007 - 10:42 am
NST March 28th reported on page 11 factory engineer Abdul Bhafur Mohd Ibrahim filing a RM1 million suit against Kepala Batas Hospital. All that was highlighted in the report was ” He also accused the defendants of failing to provide an efficient ambulence service”. Now there is big difference between reporting about inefficient ambulence service and that of “all the ambulances were out of petrol”.
If our media wants to play a meaningful role to highlight scandalous behaviour with the view to improving public delivery system and keeping petty officials in their toes, it should not play down the reporting to just describe a scandalous situation of all ambulences out of petrol to that of mere inefficient ambulence service.
#38 by boyboycute on Tuesday, 8 May 2007 - 9:59 pm
A few of my friends are pharmacists in government hospitals.They told me a lot of senior pharmacists/specialists stole dangerous drugs and medicine by using fake patient identity.Some of these drugs (with govenment label) can be seen sold in private clinics and pharmacies.How & where to report?Whistle Blowing?Anyone who are in the civil service will be blacklisted if they are found ‘menjatuhkan maruah kerajaan’.So,keep one eye close.
Besides that,from my friends who are doctors in government hospitals,there are a lot of death cases which are due to negligence and misdiagnosis.Everybody in the hospital knew who did wrong but they kept quiet.Case closed and no investigation was done.What is the use of professional ethics then?The education is teaching moral & ethics but is it practical?What is happening in reality?University students are disallowed to discuss sensitive issues.
#39 by rambo kepala batas on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 6:36 pm
Overall, government hospitals staff need to attend several training to upgred their mentality. Otherwise, a lot poeple will death cases will continue happen…due to negligence issue.
They must do something different. OR we need to do something to vote to alt. parties to change overall situation….
#40 by rambo kepala batas on Wednesday, 4 July 2007 - 1:07 pm
TheStar June 29th reported The Health Ministry has denied that a woman died at the Penang Hospital in October last year due to a delay in sending her to the hospital because the ambulance was out of petrol.
The Kepala Batas Hospital had adequate facilities to treat Yusnita Abas who died from a brain aneurysm, minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said.
He said based on a study, the prognosis for a patient who suffers severe bleeding due to a broken blood vessel was never good.
“About 30% of patients will die before they arrive at the hospital,†he told Lim Kit Siang (DAP – Ipoh Timur) in a written reply.
It was reported that Yusnita’s husband claimed that the hospital had taken five hours to treat her.
Dr Chua said among the measures being taken to improve ambulance services was to introduce a new ambulance driving training module, in which 5,000 ambulance drivers will be trained.
Note:
I am husband of above Yusnita Abas. My wife death due to provide an efficient ambulence service†from Kepala Batas Hospital.
Based on above news, The Health Ministry has denied that my wifn died at the Penang Hospital in October last year due to a delay in sending her to the hospital because the ambulance was out of petrol. So, what is root cause of this issue. It’s due to other issue.
Help Needed fro Uncle Lim Kit Siang. Pls ask what is root cause of that incident t makesure it not happen to other people in future.
In case we together not solve this issue and not understand the root cause , I can sure it going to happen again in near future…
Thanks,
Abdul Ghafur