KUALA LUMPUR: A government hospital patient raised her frustration over the lack of courtesy from a security guard who refused her entry into the healthcare facility due to wearing short pants.
In a thread post on X by user @carolyong, she questioned the guard's rationale at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA), Johor Baru who did not let her enter despite the doctor requesting Yong's immediate presence.
What got her even more flabbergasted was that the guard shouted a racial slur after letting her enter.
"Guard yelled and said 'Ini hospital kerajaan tau!' (This is a government hospital!). I said 'Look, this is urgent as the docs are looking for me.'
"But nope, no entry until the nurses gave me a pair of patient pants," she said in the thread.
"I despise that I have to take this public — it reveals my location and I don't like that. How much longer are we going to fight over attire at hospitals? Is it not tiring? And the racism? Acceptable? When are we going to resolve this?"
However, a few hours after she posted the thread, Yong said she was contacted by the hospital's corporate communications unit and met with the hospital's supervisor and the security guard.
"Just met with them, the security guard and supervisor. The guard acknowledged what he had said and apologised.
"The hospital apologised for the incident. I acknowledged and thanked the guard and hospital for their prompt action."
The New Straits Times is reaching out to the Health Ministry for comment.
The incident sparked debate among netizens. Some of them said hospital rules should still apply to everyone regardless of the situation.
"Did you not read the hospital rules? @KKMPutrajaya @DrDzul please enforce penalties for those breaking rules on hospital grounds, the same way as the penalty for smoking in any area of the hospital," says user @MagnaCartaMY.
"Why are you wearing shorts in the first place? You want people to respect your urgency but nothing from your side that respect their duty to ensure everyone comes to the hospital follows the rules? Then give 'emergency' as an excuse? Does it take 10 hours for you to wear long pants?" asks user @AkazSaya95.
Another user @azfar_yusof lamented that the incident is happening again, and said:
"Not again..."
