A CLAIM that a patient was kept waiting for hours at Hospital Jitra's emergency ward has been circulating on social media.
The now viral post took aim at the staff on duty at the Kedah hospital.
Was a patient left waiting for hours at Hospital Jitra's emergency department?
Verdict:
FALSE
The patient was called for treatment just over an hour after registering, not hours later, said the Kedah Health Department.
"Investigations found that a patient registered on Oct 9, 2026, at 7.30am and was categorised as a Green Zone (non-critical) case after clinical screening.
"At the same time, the medical team was treating a critical patient in the Red Zone and two semi-critical patients in the Yellow Zone. This situation was communicated to the waiting patient as treatment priority is based on the level of emergency," said the Kedah Health Department.
At 8.36am, hospital staff called the patient but by then they had already left the Emergency and Trauma Department, the department said in a statement
Even so, the department acknowledged that waiting times are an issue and said it is carrying out improvements to strengthen service delivery, including cutting waiting times at the hospital's Emergency and Trauma Department.
It added that it understands the public's concerns and remains committed to providing safe, efficient and quality healthcare.
The viral post also made claims about the staff on duty, which the department addressed.
"Regarding the claim that a staff member was sleeping on duty, checks found that the staff member was carrying out their duties as required.
"Meanwhile, another viral video was identified as old footage from a Hari Raya celebration in March 2026, after the staff involved had finished their shift," said the department.
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