Picture courtesy of Health Ministry’s Facebook page

Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang has demanded for the identity of the VVIPs who were given priority over two mothers who suffered from severe labour complications amidst the flood in Kelantan.

“Could the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin reveal the full details of who are these VVIPs (Official flood visitors) who had put at risk the lives of two mothers with severe labour complications at the Badang health clinic on Sunday, or must the question be directed to the Prime Minister himself?” asked Lim in a statement today.

Lim was referring to an incident recollected by Dr. Afiq Rahim on his Facebook where he and his medical personnel faced great odds when attending to two women with labour complications at the Badang health clinic in Kelantan.

“Dr. Afiq should be an exemplary model for all Malaysians, right up to the Cabinet level, of how Malaysians should conduct themselves in the face of a colossal disaster – prioritizing the saving of the lives of others than to save oneself!”

Based on his posts, the first patient required healthcare attention and medical evacuation.
Upon being informed that the helicopter would be delayed to facilitate the flights of VVIP’s, Dr. Afif was infuriated.

“What!!!!!! I need my helicopter now,now, now! Pt(patient) is dying here!!!!” posted Dr. Afif recalling what he said at the time. The helicopter arrived only two hours later.

The second patient who arrived after 8am in labour was also faced with a similar predicament, slipping in and out of consciousness after losing a lot of blood.

“Dr. Afiq was fully justified to be infuriated by the delays because the authorities had prioritized official visits despite the patients being in critical condition,” commented Lim Kit Siang in his statement today.

He asked if what happened was in accordance with the standard operating procedures for disaster management – that VVIP visits are given priority over patients in critical conditions.

Citing this incident, Lim emphasized the need for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the Floods Disaster Management Preparedness.

“Such cases should be investigated by the RCI on Floods Disaster Management Procedure so that there would be no repetition of such incidents, where VVIPs put the lives of ordinary rakyat at risk so that they could visit flood-hit areas,” he said. -The Rocket