Materia Medica Malaysiana

UMMC Probes Claims Victim Turned Away

KUALA LUMPUR: The University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) yesterday started investigations into claims that Norishzyani Amylia Ahmad, a two-year-old child abuse victim who died on Monday, was turned away by the hospital two months ago.

It was reported that the girl was sent to UMMC at 10am on Feb 25 after she was slapped hard by a woman (not a child-minder) at a childcare centre in Petaling Jaya.

The incident left her bleeding from her ears and lips.

The child was then rushed to UMMC's accident and emergency unit at 10am by the minders that day.

They had hoped she would be given treatment and that the hospital would report the matter to the police.

Instead, sources had told The Malay Mail that the UMMC registration department had refused to accept her because those who brought her there were not her guardians.

UMMC staff had also claimed they could not register the girl as there were no Welfare Department officers, who under the law, become guardians for children suspected to be abuse victims. The child was handed back to her parents the same day. The matter was also not reported to the police.

The Malay Mail learnt that the meeting, headed by its director Datuk Dr Mohd Amin Jalaludin yesterday, was also to identify and reprimand the staff who had acted irresponsibly.

Dr Amin's office was also in touch with the minders who brought the girl to the hospital that day.

UMMC is expected to issue a statement on the matter today.

It was believed that the girl had been subjected to abuse since January as neighbours often heard or spotted her crying.

They had also claimed to have seen her being dragged and manhandled when she walked a little too slowly.

On Wednesday, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil had said she would get to the bottom of the matter.

She will be meeting Welfare Department officers and the minders who had dealt with the child next Wednesday.