Sunway Medical Centre denies error in medicine prescription
Instead, the Selangor private hospital said the billing issues that Kumaresh faced were due to a mistake by its administrative department.
“Our staff took note of the issue immediately and have...
Sunway Medical Centre said it did not err in diagnosing and prescribing medication to the son of former radio presenter A Kumaresh.
Instead, the Selangor private hospital said the billing issues that Kumaresh faced were due to a mistake by its administrative department.
“Our staff took note of the issue immediately and have altered the total in the final bill directly. Sunway Medical Centre has contacted the patient’s parents and our investigation findings will be discussed in detail with them.
“The patient’s and his parents’ unpleasant experience at our hospital is regretted and we will continue to ensure every patient has a right to competent healthcare and treatment,” its corporate communications department told Malaysiakini.
It said this following Kumaresh’s allegations the hospital gave his son the wrong prescription, which led to a formal complaint being made by his wife Sivagamy Gobalan against the doctor who treated their son.
Sunway Medical Centre said it contacted Kumaresh to understand the situation after the allegations emerged and conducted an immediate investigation.
It found the doctor has not erred in making the influenza diagnosis and prescribing the antiviral drug Tamiflu based on the patient’s symptoms alone.
“In view of the rising number of influenza cases, Tamiflu can be prescribed to children without confirmatory testing based on clinical evaluation.
“This is in line with the Malaysian Health Ministry’s influenza management guidelines as well as the US Centers for Disease Control guidelines.
“Moreover, studies have shown that the medication is most effective when started within 48 hours after symptoms emerge.
“With early intervention, there is a reduction in the risk of pneumonia (one of the most common causes of death amongst [influenza] patients) and the need for hospitalisation,” it said.
Earlier, Kumaresh posted a video on TikTok urging people to be more careful when seeking treatment at private hospitals, after recounting his ordeal.
He also urged people to check their bills before making payments. The video has been viewed more than 700,000 times and shared more than 6,000 times.
According to Kumaresh, when he and his family sought treatment on Saturday (Aug 13), a doctor gave them influenza medication and said tests to confirm the disease were not necessary.
He was then charged RM455 per patient which included an influenza test, even though the test was not done.
After disputing the bill twice, the final bill was reduced to RM160.
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