Health DG warns of severe action over body slip-up

Director-General of Health Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today warned of severe action against the staff of the Kajang Hospital whose mistake resulted in a dead Muslim convert being cremated according to Buddhist rites.

He said the Selangor Department of Health was conducting an in-depth study into the case after the hospital admitted that an error had taken place in the handing over of the body to the next-of-kin.

"The Ministry of Health regrets and takes a serious view of the incident. The ministry maintains that such a mistake should never occur at any hospital," he said in a statement.

Dr Noor Hisham said hospitals and forensic units had guidelines and standard operating procedures on the handing over of bodies to the next-of-kin.

A daily reported today that the body of Muslim convert Hassan Abdullah, 74, whose original name was Lin Ah San alias Lim Ah San, was cremated according to Buddhist rites after the Forensic Unit of Kajang Hospital handed over the body to a welfare centre last Saturday.

The newspaper quoted Mohd Azmi Md Zain, chairman of the Al-Fikrah Malaysia Care Centre, as saying that the confusion came about as there were two bodies of Chinese men with almost similar names at the unit.

Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry had issued instructions for an immediate improvement of the procedures at the hospital to prevent similar incidents.

He said Hassan was the only Muslim convert in his family and had been staying at a welfare home in Kajang.

"The ashes of the deceased have been handed over to the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (MAIS) welfare home," he said.

In SHAH ALAM, MAIS said it wanted the Kajang Hospital to conduct an investigation and compile a detailed report on the incident.

Its chairman, Datuk Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa, suggested in a statement that the hospital review and improve its procedures to prevent similar incidents.

He said MAIS also urged all quarters against issuing statements that could turn the matter into a controversy.

-- BERNAMA