THE CRUEL CAPITALIST SIDE OF A MALAYSIAN CLINIC

Clinic holds baby ‘hostage’ over RM985

A THREE-day-old baby girl was kept “hostage” by a private clinic in Masai, Johor, because her family were unable to pay the RM985 clinic charges.

Harian Metro reported that the baby, born on June 18, was not only separated from her mother but also had to sleep on a weighing scale.

The baby's luck changed when officers from the state Health Department, the Pharmaceutical Department and the Immigration Department raided the clinic on suspicion that the doctor was selling sleeping pills to drug users.

Dr Haslina Zamani, the deputy director from the state Health Department's Private Medical Practice Control Unit, said that the baby was returned to her parents at Kampung Pertanian on Thursday.

Source: The STAR Online, June 23rd, 2007.

I am outraged reading the news above. How could anyone act so damm cruel is really beyond me.

Looks like money rule this Malaysian mind. Compassion and kindness must have took the backseat that day. I remembered another similar case just few weeks ago where a private hospital refused to admit an elderly woman who was beaten until the son put up a huge amount of money as deposit. The woman ended up dead on her way to a government hospital. And its not the first time it happened.

Dont tell me the clinic/ doctor have exhausted all reasonable way to get what was owed? I am quite sure, if the parents have enough money, they would have paid. The baby was only 3 day's old for God's sake. And on top of that, the newborn was left sleeping on a weighing scale!

I cant imagine what the mother must have felt to be separated from her baby. I cannot but think about the helpless father who must wonder how he's going to find money to pay the clinic so that his baby can be released. I am overwhelmed with sadness thinking about the baby.

To the doctor/ clinic I'll say: May you rot in the deepest hell!