SUNGAI PETANI, July 16 — The Ministry of Health (MoH) is still awaiting the police investigation report regarding the recent death of a 10-year-old girl, allegedly due to negligence, at a government hospital in Klang.

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said she also needed to obtain detailed information from all parties involved, before making further explanations regarding the incident.

She also urged the public not to spread unauthentic information, and not to be influenced by issues which spread through social media, because they do not know the authenticity of the real story.

"I urge that people out there be more careful and get (information) the authentic sources... don’t spread negativity because it will create negative sentiments,” she told reporters, after officiating the Madani Afiat programme and the national-level observation of the World Malaria Day 2023, here today.

The recent incident, involving Dea Maisarah Bada, 10, who allegedly died while receiving treatment at a government hospital in Klang, has gone viral on social media, causing various public perceptions.

The hospital was also accused of making a false report regarding the child's death, by saying that the victim had already died when she arrived for treatment.

Yesterday, the media reported that Selangor police chief, Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, was reported to have confirmed receiving two reports about the recent death of the girl at Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) Klang, and had started an investigation under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.

Meanwhile, Dr Zaliha, in her opening speech, said that Malaria cases in this country are under control.

"The MOH has successfully achieved the target of the National Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Malaria (NSPEM) (2011–2020), which is zero cases of local (indigenous) human malaria infection starting in 2018, and has now managed to maintain that achievement for five consecutive years,” she said.

At the same event, Zaliha also presented the Tokoh Malaria 2023 award to the founder of the Malaria Triangle in Peninsular Malaysia programme, Datuk Dr Pius Premaraj, who is also a former Kelantan health director. — Bernama