Penang Hospital not spared from massive floods

GEORGE TOWN: Firzan Helmi used to consider Penang Hospital as one of the safest places in the state, but even this was not spared from the floods that struck the city.

The 25-year-old government health officer said his wife rang him up at around 3am yesterday to tell him that their five-month-old son would have to be eva-cuated to a ward on the higher floors.

The hospital administration had expected the place to be flooded.

“I was worried as I was at my mother’s home in Sungai Petani while my wife was alone in the hospital to accompany our son, who was hospitalised due to breathing difficulties.

“We heard about the storm and the heavy rains which hit Penang but I had not expected the hospital to be affected as flooding there was unheard of,” said Firzan, who dashed over to be with his wife and son.

Medical officers, he said, had woken his wife up to tell her to quickly move their son to the upper floor before the floodwaters reached the ward.

“I am grateful that the hospital acted quickly because when my wife went down to the ground floor later to collect her belongings, it was already flooded,” he said, adding that the water was about ankle deep then.

A sales executive, whose wife gave birth to their first son on Friday, said he received a call at around 3pm from his spouse.

“She was in Block D but had to be moved to the gynaecology ward.

“Our son remains on the second floor of Block C as he has slight indications of jaundice,” said the man who declined to be named.

Penang Health director Datuk Dr M. Sukumar said all patients received the necessary treatment, urging the public not to spread inaccurate information about the incident.

“No untoward incident took place.

“Immediate action was carried out to move 104 patients and four newborns to a safer place between 2.30am and 5.30am.

“The areas affected include the transport unit, the lower floors of Block C and D as well as four patient wards and the neonatal intensive care unit,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Dr Sukumar said both outpatient and inpatient care services, including ambulance services, were operating as usual.

He said those with enquiries could contact the hospital at 04-222 5620.