Health Ministry probing claim doctors were racist - Hilmi

The Health Ministry has instructed the Penang Health Department to investigate complaints that three doctors behaved in a racist manner at a government hospital in the state recently, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya.

However, he said so far the ministry had yet to receive a report on the matter.

"We are still investigating, maybe it was a misunderstanding. What is important is that doctors must uphold the ethics of their profession," he told reporters after attending a Ramadan function together with Penang Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas at Masjid Jamek Al-Ehsan here on Friday.

Hilmi was commenting on a statement by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng asking the ministry to investigate the matter to find out if complaints to the effect had any basis.