Times are tough, and things are becoming more and more expensive. One phenomenon that everyone is experiencing is rising food prices.
Last Monday, Choudhry Sundaram, a dentist in Sultan Ismail Hospital, Johor Bahru, made a Facebook post about the exorbitant price of a sausage bun he bought from a bakery at the hospital.
In a picture attached to the post, he compared the size of the bun to the receipt and a red marker. It was smaller than both!
“The small chicken sausage doughnut cost RM5.”
“Yes, you have seen it right. RM5.00 for a simple sausage bun,” he said.
Shocked, Choudhry asked the cashier to confirm the price. The cashier nodded and said that the value on the price tag was correct.
He also questioned why the price of the sausage bun was so high.
“It’s still okay if the bun is pricey because the shop’s rental is pricey. (However), is the rental at a government hospital so expensive that the price has to be hiked up? Or are raw materials costly?” he asked.
“If this is the price, how will patients, their families, and staff buy from and support these marts in the hospital?”
Later, Choudhry also shared a screenshot of an email response he received from the Johor State Health Department regarding the matter.
The department thanked Choudhry for bringing their attention to the issue and said an investigation would be carried out to get to the bottom of it.
“My intention (of sharing the post) is to make (food) prices affordable for patients, visitors, and also the staff of the hospital who mostly come from the B40 group,” Choudhry told WORLD OF BUZZ today.
Netizens contribute
In the comments, netizens shared their thoughts on the matter.
“There’s no competition. If the price is already like that, might as well open a Family Mart in the hospital.”
“Small businesses like this usually only sell for RM2 or RM3. It is the headquarters that set the price at RM5.”
“It’s only RM2.50 at AEON if it’s just bread and sausage. With cheese, it’s RM3.50. But this one is RM5! The audacity…”
We hope the relevant authorities will take necessary action to combat this issue.
It may not be a lot to some of us, but to many who frequent the hospital, these costs can add up and become a burden.
