Local media is reporting that a new mother and her day-old baby are currently missing in the Kuantan area, having walked out on a hospital bill that the woman could not afford to pay yesterday.
Having just given birth at the city’s Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan earlier that day, after having been admitted four days ago, a Burmese woman absconded with her baby hidden in a bag via the hospital back door.
A nurse making evening rounds at 6pm raised the alarm, after fellow patients say they did not notice the new mother, nor her baby’s absence.
While giving birth in a government hospital can cost anywhere from nothing, if you are a government employee, to RM600 (US$150) for Malaysian citizens, the cost to give birth for a foreigner at the same facility is many times the price.
Non-Malaysians patients can expect to pay anywhere from RM3,000 (US$740) to nearly RM7,000 (US$ 1,725) depending on how complicated the birth, and the type of room they are housed in during their hospital stay.
Berita Harian report that the baby had been fitted with an RFID bracelet, as well as an ankle tag, to prevent it leaving the hospital undetected. Guards say they were not aware that the woman and baby had left.
While walking out on any kind of bill is always strongly discouraged, we hope that the mother and baby are safe and healthy wherever they are.
