A woman has come forward to accuse a government hospital of causing her newborn’s death by failing to deliver the child in a timely fashion.
She recently held a press conference to demand an explanation for the incident after a full account of the investigation wasn’t provided by the authorities.
Gave birth 2 weeks earlier than scheduled
According to the woman name Lin, she said she underwent screenings at the hospital in 2025, which indicated that the fetus was healthy and showed no abnormalities.
During her final prenatal check-up, doctors estimated that her due date was still about two weeks away. However, at around 4:30am on June 5, her water suddenly broke, along with slight bleeding.
Lin added that although her water broke earlier than expected, the baby was still in its full-term and not premature.
Allegedly waited for 18-20 hours
At the hospital, Lin claimed she was made to wait 18 to 20 hours before a C-section procedure was scheduled for the following morning.
Throughout the wait, she continued to experience fluid leakage, contractions, and bleeding with no medical assistance provided.
When Lin finally gave birth, she noticed that the baby did not cry and showed no signs of life, prompting doctors to send it to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
The next day, she was told that the baby had suffered oxygen deprivation for about nine minutes and was placed on life support.
“After consulting a neurologist, the baby was confirmed to be braindead. I eventually made the decision to withdraw life support and the baby passed away on June 13.
I carried it inside me for 10 months but was only able to hold it for days.
“I believe my child’s death was not caused by any congenital condition, but delays in the delivery procedure,” she said while holding back her tears.
Paid RM35,000 by MOH
On June 24, 2025, Lin attended an independent inquiry meeting arranged by the Ministry of Health (MOH) regarding the incident and was given an ex gratia payment of RM35,000.
However, she stressed that the payment was neither formal compensation nor a reflection of the truth.
“No written investigation report was provided after the meeting, nor was there any clear explanation of what had happened or whether medical negligence was involved.
“My child’s life should not be hastily settled with payment and I’ve appointed a lawyer to pursue legal action.
“While no explanation can ever make up for the loss of my child, I still deserve a clear answer and I hope no mother will go through what I did.”
MOH urged to respond
Seri Kembangan assemblyperson Wong Siew Kie, who was also present, said the press conference wasn’t aimed at pointing fingers, but to seek a clear explanation from the relevant authorities.
“Lin has yet to receive a clear account from the hospital or the doctors involved, and has not even been provided with the investigation report.
“If the findings are already available, they should be disclosed transparently, along with appropriate improvements and fair compensation.
“This should serve as an opportunity to review and improve the healthcare system, be it at government hospitals or other medical institutions, so that the public can rely on safer and more dependable care during life-and-death situations.”
MOH has yet to formally respond at the time of writing.
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