Malaysian woman allegedly discharged from private hospital at 4 am over medical card coverage issue

MALAYSIA: A Malaysian man recently posted a video on TikTok detailing his exasperating encounter at a private hospital in Selangor.

The TikToker, Farqhan, rushed his wife to the hospital for emergency treatment at 9 pm on Wednesday (9 Aug).

According to him, upon their arrival, the medical staff told them to wait for the doctor to come and check on his wife.

While his wife underwent examination, Farqhan learned that the 4-bed wards, which were in line with his wife’s medical card coverage, had reached full capacity.

Instead, a higher-priced room at RM650 (approximately $142) was the only option.

According to him, his wife’s medical card only covered the 4-bed ward, so she had to pay out of pocket for the RM500 difference.

Since they were unable to make a decision on the spot, the couple was told to leave the hospital and come back when there was a ward with 4 beds available.

Farqhan then immediately check whether the insurance company had received his wife’s admission notice, and he discovered that the medical staff had neglected to forward the doctor’s certificate to the insurance provider.

However, due to concerns for his wife’s well-being, he insisted that she be allowed to remain in the hospital.

At around 4 am, Farqhan returned home to change his clothes.

During his journey back, his wife contacted him to convey that she had been advised to discharge herself from the hospital.

“I asked if the doctor is chasing my wife out to which they replied, they merely wanted her to be discharged as quickly as possible,” he said during an interview with Malaysian media outlet mStar.

In the end, Farqhan found himself obligated to cover approximately RM705 for the hospitalization, a separate payment from other bills.

In his video, he recommended that viewers consider opting for higher-tier medical card packages to avoid encountering the same challenges he faced.

The TikTok video has sparked discussions among Malaysian netizens

The video which was posted on 9 Aug has garnered 1.6 million views and 59,600 likes as of writing.

@farqhan.com

sampai hati#CapCut

♬ Sad Piano Music Instrument – Musik Instrumen

The TikTok video has generated debates among Malaysian netizens. Some suggest that the woman’s medical card might not be the problem, attributing the issue to the hospital staff’s reluctance to offer alternative solutions.

Comparisons between private and public hospitals accentuate disparities, noting that Malaysian public hospitals don’t demand medical cards but face bed shortages, necessitating patient patience; however, citizens are assured treatment within the government healthcare system without rejection.

A TikToker commented, “Next time if you want to go to private hospitals and use medical cards, please call them first regarding the bed availability which met your medical card requirement.”

Another TikToker advised others to communicate with their respective agent to check which hospital has beds available.

A TikToker shared their opinion, “I think the medical card is not the problem, but the hospital is.”

Private vs. public hospitals in Malaysia

Someone also compared private hospitals with public hospitals, “Private hospitals: has medical cards, no beds, got chased away.

“Government hospitals: no medical cards needed, no beds, visitors have to wait patiently, as long as you do not get chased away.”

The subsequent comment also mentioned public hospitals.

Emergency zone treatment at Malaysian public hospitals for just $1.09

“Public hospitals allow you to wait at the emergency zone while waiting for available beds, never got chased out, you just need to pay RM5 ($1.09).”

The replies are such as, “Yes but people often criticized or sued public hospitals,” and “That is the reality of public hospitals which often got condemned by the citizen.”

On the other hand, a TikTok user believes that it was neither the hospital nor the insurance agent’s fault.

She said, “If you agree to the premium bed, the hospital will proceed to submit the Guarantee Letter (GL).

She then proceed to share her experience when her child had epilepsy.

“I went to the private hospital but it was full so I went to a 24-hour clinic because I want my child to be examined by a doctor first.

“Then we went to the hospital after receiving a call from the hospital about an available bed.

She ended her sharing by saying the agents have to be involved in such situations.