An article saying that a patient in Selangor was seriously injured after being stabbed by an agitated psychiatric patient because of the long wait and overcrowded hospital has since gone viral online.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah has clarified that a media article of a psychiatric patient stabbing another patient was not because of a long waiting time at one of their health facilities.
Photo via Malay Mail
However, after the unfortunate incident, DG Hisham said that he will review and strengthen the standard operating procedure (SOP) for handling psychiatric patients to safeguard other patients in emergency departments.
“If the psychiatric patient was not brought to the emergency department but a public place, he will also act out what he has done,” he said, as reported by the Malay Mail.
He added that an article of the incident had been circulating social media on Wednesday (15 February) depicting the psychiatric patient as having been agitated due to the long waiting time at the hospital, and ignoring any underlying mental issues that may have contributed to the attack.
The man was brought to the emergency by the police so that he could be admitted to a mental ward.
Selangor Health director, Datuk Dr. Sha’ari Ngadiman also confirmed the incident and said that the victim is in a stable condition after their surgery. Meanwhile, the suspect has been taken to the hospital’s psychiatric unit.
The case will be investigated under Section 326 of the Penal Code for causing grievous hurt with a weapon.
