Sabah Health Dept lodges police report over baby snatching claims

The Sabah State Health Department has lodged a police report today, refuting allegations that babies were being snatched in Sabah hospitals.

Its director, Dr Asits Sanna, said his department had immediately launched an investigation in response to a Malaysiakini report titled “Baby snatching: How stateless mums lose their infants in Sabah hospital".

In a statement today, Asits claimed that the department found the allegation to be untrue and there were no such cases happening in the state’s public hospitals.

Yesterday, Malaysiakini published a report highlighting multiple cases where stateless women have lost or were threatened they will lose custody of their children, who were treated at Lahad Datu Hospital.

In one case, a hospital investigation found a mother committed murder-suicide with her baby after she was told she could lose custody of her five-month-old and was pressured to settle the large hospital bill for her child’s treatment.

READ MORE: Baby snatching: How stateless mums lose their infants in Sabah hospital

The stateless community do not have access to subsidised healthcare and must pay upfront for registration, tests and treatment at public healthcare facilities, often amounting to thousands of ringgit.

“Today, we lodged a report at the Lahad Datu district police headquarters.

“We take these allegations seriously and assure all customers at Sabah health facilities that our top priority is their safety and well-being.

“All patients receiving treatment at any healthcare facility are provided with appropriate care in accordance with the laws and regulations of Malaysia,” Asits said.

He added that in cases of abandoned or neglected infants and children, the hospital refers the matter to the child protection officer, as provided for under the Child Act 2001 (Act 611).

“We will cooperate fully with the authorities on the investigation of the case,” Asits stated.

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