MOH says no delay in treating Singaporean accident victim (Updated)

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Health Ministry (MOH) has quashed allegations that Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA) had refused treatment to a Singaporean hit and run victim because they did not pay up front.
The ministry's director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (pix) said that the 25-year-old man named Justinian Tan was given the necessary emergency treatment upon arrival at HSA and was not asked to fork out a deposit as reported by several Singapore news websites.
"MOH would like to stress that there was no delay or demand for payment before treatment of this gentleman by Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) Johor Baru," he said in a statement.
"In view of his critical condition, the Singaporean man was admitted to the Red Zone upon arrival at the Emergency Department. Immediately, the emergency treatment as per the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) protocol was continued, which was already initiated by the ambulance team earlier. The Emergency Department team also initiated the necessary imaging (primary survey X-rays, CT-scan of brain, cervical and thorax), treatment (including intubation) and referral to the relevant team in a very timely and professional manner, without asking for any deposit since this is an emergency case," he added.
He also said that procedures were in line with the MOH policy in a circular dated 4th March 2015 regarding deposit payment for foreigners in MOH hospitals.
He added that a deposit of payment was only requested when the family members had arrived which was as per protocol for foreign patients.
"Subsequent to this, the family members arrived, and only then they were requested to make a deposit payment as per protocol for a foreigner patient; but it is important to note that the emergency imaging and treatments required were not withheld or delayed. However the family members opted for discharge at own risk (AOR discharge) and arranged for admission to a hospital in Singapore after understanding the risk involved of further delaying the surgery," he said.
Tan was reported to have died on Aug 30 in Singapore.
Yesterday, several Singaporean websites had cited friends of Tan claiming that the 25-year-old's life could have been saved if he had received medical treatment earlier.
According to reports, the group of six Singaporeans had gone to Johor Baru for supper on Aug 25 and had been knocked down by a Malaysian-registered Proton Saga car as they were walking back to their car in the early hours after their meal.
The driver fled, leaving Tan and another Singaporean named only as Brandon, with injuries. Tan bore the brunt of the injuries.
Reports cited one of the friends named only as Joshua saying a call was made for an ambulance, but it had allegedly arrived only 30 minutes later though the location was said to be only 5km from the hospital.
According to Joshua, the hospital had demanded deposits amounting to RM2,700 for both victims before treating them and later demanded a further RM1,350 payment to conduct scans on Tan.
Tan subsequently succumbed to his injuries and died at the Singapore General Hospital on Aug 30 when he was taken off life support.