This is the reality today...
Some people are simply refusing to take responsibility, choosing instead to rely on our public healthcare system, which is already overwhelmed, under-resourced, and struggling to accommodate patients who genuinely need urgent care.
Photo via CodeBlue
A Malaysian doctor recently shared a troubling situation online. According to the doctor, some families are intentionally leaving their elderly parents at hospitals just so they can go out or enjoy their day without the burden of caregiving.
The doctor, posting on Threads, expressed clear frustration. He reminded the public that hospitals are not temporary drop-off centres for convenience.
He wrote, “Hospitals are not a place where you can send your elderly parents because you want to go out! Hospitals are not hotels!”
However, what made the situation even more upsetting was the response from some of the family members. When confronted, some reportedly joked about it, brushing it off like it was nothing serious.
The doctor explained in another post, “The upsetting part isn’t that we don’t want to help. It’s when the children say things like, ‘Oh, this isn’t a hotel I can check in to? Hahaha, just kidding.’ We also have the right to speak when something is wrong.”
It turns out this is not an isolated case. Many healthcare workers came forward to say that they see this more often than people realise.
One shared: “I thought an elderly uncle came alone. I accompanied him to the car after treatment, only to find his son waiting inside the car the whole time. The son complained because he had to take emergency leave and said his father would ‘disturb everyone’ at home. That hurt me deeply.”
Another recounted a patient whose children claimed he was not eating and behaving erratically. But once admitted, the elderly man ate normally. None of the children visited. When the hospital called to discharge him, the family asked for an extension of up to 10 days because they "were not ready" to take him back.
Some healthcare staff added that this tends to happen especially before festive seasons, when families want to travel without worrying about caregiving.
In the most severe cases, families even refuse to pick the patient up after discharge. Calls are ignored, excuses are made, and the hospital is left with no choice but to report it to authorities to free up beds for other patients.
This is not just irresponsible. It is heartbreaking. These are parents who raised their children, only to be abandoned when they become old and vulnerable.
Caring for the elderly can be exhausting, emotionally and physically. But there are ways to manage it: community care services, part-time home carers, shared caregiving among siblings, or even speaking to social workers for guidance.
Before leaving elderly parents in a hospital for convenience, consider this: one day, we will all grow old too.
If you have aging family members, plan care together, ask for support when needed, and remember that compassion goes a long way.
