'Name and shame Serdang Hospital contractor'

The government has been ticked off for failing to name the contractor responsible for shoddy work at the Serdang Hospital, even after seven incidents of ceiling slabs caving in since 2011. 

Urging the government to do so, the DAP's Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching(right) also urged Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam to resign, since the Dec 9 incident is the fourth under his watch. 

“When the maternity ward ceiling of Serdang Hospital collapsed for the third time on Sept 30, I had urged Subramaniam to guarantee that such incident would not be repeated and that he should tender his resignation if the ceiling caves in a fourth time,” she said in a scathing statement.

“(He) had no guts to respond at that point of time which shows that, even though he does not possess the capability and wisdom to be a minister, he is not a complete idiot. 

“If he had accepted my challenge, he would have tendered his resignation, not just once or twice, but three times over a period of two and a half month!” 

In September, Works Minister Fadillah Yusof had said the government is waiting for a report on the Serdang Hospital and may take the errant contractor to court. 

Teo, a former Serdang MP who had delivered her first child at the RM690 million hospital, said it is also “shameful” that the government is continuing to put the lives of medical staff in danger. 

Patients, too, are taking the risk when going to the hospital, she said, but many may not have a choice.

Now pregnant with her second child, Teo said  the professionalism and friendliness of Serdang Hospital staff had prompted her to decide on returning there to for the delivery. 

“However, I am now advised by many friends and netizens to reconsider my decision,” she said.

'Who is there to guarantee safety of staff?'

“While I indeed have an option to go to other hospitals to avoid the risk, the more important question is, who is there to guarantee the safety and well-being of the medical staff and their families who serve and reside in Serdang Hospital?”

Utusan Malaysia yesterday reported that, on Dec 9, a hospital employee’s wife and four children had narrowly escaped injurywhen ceiling slabs collapsed in the toilet of their hospital quarters 

This happened less than a week after part of the ceiling at the emergency and trauma unit caved in. 

Prior to that, ceiling slabs at the intensive care unit for newborn babies and the maternity ward respectively had fallen in. 

However, Utusan claimed that there have been at least 10 incidents since the hospital opened its doors in 2005. 

The Health Minister last month said that it is reinforcing the hospital ceiling in stages.