IPOH: Claims of a cat being present in a Batu Gajah Hospital ward in Perak have been investigated, says Datuk A Sivanesan.
The Perak Health, Human Resources and Indian Community Affairs Committee chairman confirmed the incident and said that an internal investigation was carried out by the hospital management on Thursday (Jan 29).
"The hospital views the presence of stray animals on its premises seriously," he said when contacted.
A two-minute video of the incident circulated on social media after a patient recorded a cat lying on a bed in a hospital ward. The patient also claimed that a cat had defecated in the toilet, leaving it dirty and unusable.
The patient added that he was worried about the risk of infection, saying he felt scared and unsafe as he had just undergone an operation on his leg. He claimed that he had informed doctors about the situation, but no action was taken, and he alleged that his request to be transferred to Ipoh Hospital was denied.
Meanwhile, Sivanesan said that the male patient had been transferred to Ward 2, an isolation room at Batu Gajah Hospital, after being confirmed to have an Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase bacterial infection.
"The patient had requested to be placed in a separate room. After being given the room, the patient recorded a video of a cat on a bed in another room and uploaded the footage online where it later went viral," he said.
He said that the room shown in the video was unoccupied at the time of the incident and did not house any patients. He added that Ward 2 is an open-concept ward, making it challenging to fully monitor the movement of stray animals.
"The actual situation was explained to the patient, who has since accepted the explanation and is currently satisfied with the room provided. The patient was also advised to raise any concerns directly with the nurses or the matron should further issues arise," he added.
He also said that the patient has requested to be transferred to Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh for follow-up treatment due to logistical reasons and the specialist there has been informed. However, bed availability at the hospital remains limited, as the patient requires long-term antibiotic treatment.
He added that continuous measures have been taken, including efforts to capture stray cats found roaming around the hospital area. Despite these measures, he said that the issue has recurred due to the arrival of new stray cats, including the possibility that irresponsible individuals may have abandoned cats within the hospital compound.
"Following the incident, monitoring has been intensified and ward staff have been instructed to strengthen hygiene and safety controls to prevent similar incidents from recurring. Hospital staff and visitors have also been reminded not to feed stray animals to avoid attracting them into hospital areas," he added.
