Activist Hartini Zainudin said the hospital staff’s behaviour ‘stood in contrast with the Islamic principles of compassion and mercy’ taught by Prophet Muhammad.
PETALING JAYA: An activist has slammed a hospital in Kuala Lumpur over alleged mistreatment of a social worker who was seeking urgent medical care for a refugee infant facing vision loss today.
Yayasan Chow Kit co-founder Hartini Zainudin lambasted the hospital’s administrative staff, saying it was both unprofessional and inhumane to create additional barriers through hostile behaviour when third parties come forward to assist with payment.
“The staff’s hostile treatment of our social worker attempting to save a premature infant’s vision is not an isolated incident but reflects a deeply troubling pattern.
“Non-citizens are already burdened by being charged 24 to 300 times more than citizens for healthcare access since January 2016. When good Samaritans step forward to help, they should be welcomed and not met with hostility,” she said in a statement.
Hartini said that with Malaysia having ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the best interests of children must be a top priority, regardless of their status.
“While Malaysia’s healthcare system is structured as a two-tiered system, the fundamental right to healthcare — especially for children — transcends citizenship status.
“The staff’s behaviour goes beyond policy enforcement into the realm of discrimination and xenophobia, which has been documented as a significant barrier to healthcare access in Malaysian hospitals,” she said.
Furthermore, she said Malaysia has established legal frameworks through the Child Act 2001 specifically to protect all children’s rights and welfare.
She also said the hospital staff’s behaviour “stood in contrast to the Islamic principles of compassion and mercy” as taught by the Prophet Muhammad.
She urged the hospital to address the pattern of unprofessional behaviour towards social workers and vulnerable patients as well as provide sensitivity training for its administrative staff.
They should also establish clear protocols for handling cases involving vulnerable children and create a more compassionate environment aligned with both Islamic values and professional healthcare standards, she said.
“This situation demands immediate attention and reform. The sight — and dignity — of vulnerable children hang in the balance.”
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