Sarawak hospitals did not turn away cancer patient whose IC was seized, says Health director

KUCHING: Two government hospitals in northern Sarawak never denied treatment to a cancer patient whose MyKad was reportedly confiscated by the National Registration Department (NRD), says state Health director Dr Ooi Choo Huck.

He said the 65-year-old patient's daughter, when contacted, confirmed that Hospital Lawas and Hospital Miri had never refused to treat her mother.

"The department wishes to point out that health services continued to be provided to the patient regardless of her MyKad registration status and nationality," he said in a statement on Wednesday (April 12).

The statement was issued following a report by a news portal which claimed that the woman, Lina Samuel, was facing difficulty undergoing treatment after her MyKad was seized by the NRD in November.

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The report said Lina Samuel’s identification card was seized when she tried to change her address to enable her to vote in the 15th General Election.

Lina had claimed she was told by NRD staff that her MyKad was confiscated following an order from a superior.

Dr Ooi said the individual mentioned in the news portal report was under the care of a surgeon at Hospital Miri who had performed several procedures on her between Feb 15 and March 20 this year.

"She was also given an appointment for follow-up treatment at the hospital's specialist clinic on April 17.

"The patient was also treated at the emergency and trauma unit at Hospital Lawas on April 1, where she underwent an examination and was referred to the doctor on duty who treated her accordingly," he added. – Bernama