PETALING JAYA: A private hospital in Klang is facing public backlash after allegedly withholding the body of a baby boy for two weeks, demanding that his parents settle a RM3,600 bill before allowing the remains to be buried.
A Facebook post by the Special Unit for Hearse Services (UKVJ) on Monday about managing the body of a baby boy named Adham, who was born with severe deformities has gone viral, drawing widespread outrage.
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In the post shared on the Mr Wan Cai Official Facebook page, the unit’s founder revealed that they had to use warm water mixed with tap water to soften the infant’s body and joints before managing the remains.
The post revealed that on November 24, the infant was born without one eye, a nose and an anus. Unfortunately, he passed away shortly after birth.
Wan Cai condemned the private hospital’s actions in Klang, describing the decision to store the baby’s body and delay his burial as inhumane.
He questioned the hospital’s motive for holding the mother and her baby’s body until the hospital bill, which amounted to over RM3,000, was paid.
He wrote: “In this case, it is clear that the hospital owner’s decision to withhold Adham’s body from being handled is both inappropriate and cruel.
“As mentioned, the hospital detained the mother in the ward until the father made the payment.
“The question is, why was Adham’s body kept in the morgue for two weeks? Wasn’t the mother already detained as collateral for the hospital?” the post read.
According to the post, the bill, which amounted to approximately RM3,600, was finally paid by the father at 11am on Monday, allowing the UKVJ team to handle the baby’s funeral.
In response to public outcry, Wan Cai shared a timeline of events narrated by the baby’s father.
He explained that his wife was rushed to the private hospital on November 24 after experiencing severe pain.
Earlier, the father had worked a night shift on November 23 and intended to transfer his wife to a government hospital in Klang.
However, he claimed that the private hospital’s doctors informed him that the baby’s delivery was imminent and complicated, leaving no time for transfer.
After the delivery, the hospital bill reportedly reached over RM3,000, with a remaining balance of RM2,480 after deducting the deposit.
The father expressed his frustration, stating that he was not allowed to take his baby’s body for burial until the full payment was made.
During the two weeks, the father struggled to raise the money, borrowing from family and friends. However, the amount fell short until a generous donor stepped in to cover the remaining balance of over RM1,000 on Monday.
