1 ringgit does not mean you should abuse the Emergency services (II)

Further to our earlier post, the folks at the Borneo post checked with the Sarawak GH A&E and a shocking 80% of patients are those who do not have a real emergency.
This is despite clinic facilities available even after regular “office hours” as the Sarawak Director said

Polyclinic at Jalan Masjid opens until 8 pm and 1Malaysia clinics until 10 pm.

So why do people abuse the emergency services? Is it for the selfish reason of “convenience” or is it that people truly are ignorant of what constitutes an emergency?
The Director mentioned

Although the hospital authorities know that they can turn away most of these cases, the doctors and medical personnel still treated the patients.
“In other countries such as United Kingdom, the patients will not be given treatment but asked to go back.
“But for us here, since they are already here and they don’t mind waiting, we still treat them,” said Dr Abdul Rahim.

Patients with real emergencies face delays because others without emergencies are clogging up the A&E. So should the authorities be firm like in the UK and turn away patients without emergencies?

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Malaysian physician, haematologist, blogger, web and tech enthusiast