MOH still awaiting police report on 10-year-old girl's death: Dr Zaliha

The Health Ministry is waiting for a police investigation report on the recent death of a 10-year-old girl allegedly due to negligence at a government hospital in Klang.

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said she also needed to obtain detailed information from all parties involved before further explaining the incident.

She urged the public not to spread unauthentic information and not to be influenced by issues spread through social media because they do not know the authenticity of the real story.

“I urge that people out there be more careful and get (information) from authentic sources … don’t spread negativity because it will create negative sentiments,” she said.

She spoke to reporters after officiating the Madani Afiat programme and the national-level observation of the World Malaria Day 2023 in Sungai Petani today.

The incident involving Dea Maisarah Bada, who allegedly died while receiving treatment at a government hospital in Klang, has gone viral on social media, causing various public perceptions.

The hospital was also accused of falsely reporting the child's death by saying the victim had already died when she arrived for treatment.

Yesterday, Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan was said to have confirmed receiving two reports on the recent death of the girl at Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital.

Police are investigating the incident under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.

Meanwhile, Zaliha in her speech said Malaria cases in the country are under control.

“The health ministry has successfully achieved the target of the National Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Malaria (2011–2020), which is zero cases of local (indigenous) human malaria infection starting in 2018.

"And has now managed to maintain that achievement for five consecutive years,” she said.

At the event, Zaliha also presented the Tokoh Malaria 2023 award to the founder of the Malaria Triangle in Peninsular Malaysia programme, Dr Pius Premaraj, a former Kelantan health director.

- Bernama