[TEST] 6 Important Things Every Malaysian MUST Know When Visiting A Malaysian Hospital

Featured image for illustration purposes only | Source: Borneo Today

We all try to avoid going to the hospital when we can but getting sick is a normal occurrence (curse our fragile human bodies!) and accidents are bound to happen. At some point, we all end up going to the hospital to visit a friend or loved one and it’s easy to forget that there are certain things that you need to know. So, we’ve put together this list for you on what you really need to remember…

1. Double check the visiting hours of the hospital that you’re going to

Generally, there’s a standard guideline for visiting hours that most hospitals go by, where they allocate different slots for people to come and visit their loved ones. The reason for this is to give patients enough time to rest and recover. You wouldn’t want your bedside neighbours to be yapping while you’re trying to rest and recover right!

Source: The Star Online

Keep in mind that not all hospitals necessarily have the same times for visiting.

For example, Sungai Buloh Hospital and Putrajaya Hospital share the same weekday visiting hours 12.30PM-2PM and 4.30PM- 7PM. However, on weekends and public holidays, Sungai Buloh Hospital retains the same visiting hours whereas Putrajaya Hospital’s allocated time is from  12.30PM-7PM.

So to avoid any mishaps, we’d definitely recommend checking online to make sure that you have the right times.

2. Be mindful on what you bring to the hospital, and always check whether it’s okay to bring it

Malaysians are a hospitable bunch (no pun intended) and this is reflected whenever we visit someone as well. Most of us would have been drilled with the notion to never show up somewhere empty-handed.

For instance, before you decide to get fresh flowers, food, plants or fruits as these gifts, make sure that it’s actually okay for you to bring it along. Some of these items in particular could have fungal spores that’d infect the already sick patient.

As for the food, it is more of a concern of diet, as a patient’s recovering body might not be able to handle certain types of food. So be sure to consult their doctor before feeding them!

3. Remember to dress appropriately, if possible

Malaysians are aware that if they’re visiting anything that’s related to an official government institution, such as district offices or hospitals, then there will be some sort of appropriate dress guidelines to follow.

With that said, the hospital dress codes are guidelines but they are actually not mandatory.

We are encouraged to dress decently but we all know that sometimes, visiting a loved one may come as a last minute thing. As long as we make the effort to be mindful, there shouldn’t be an issue.

4. Avoid eating from the patient’s food tray

A lot of us really don’t like to waste things. Food included.

Source: Dearielittlesofi

If you end up visiting someone at the hospital during their meal time, avoid finishing their food for them if they don’t.

This is because some patients have their food intake monitored and by eating their food, the hospital staff may just think that they’re getting the proper nutrition they need when they’re actually not. Also if you really think about it, it’s not very hygienic either is it?

5. If your sibling or child is under the age of 12, leave them behind while you visit.

I think most of us would have seen the signs around hospitals that children under the age of 12 are not allowed.

This is to avoid cross-infection for both the patients and children. If a child is sick and comes to visit someone, there’s a possibility that the patient could be infected as well. Or worse, the sick child could catch something from the hospital environment.

According to this insight from Borneo post online, it is okay for children under the age of 12 to visit loved ones in the hospital, as long as they are accompanied by their parents. Still, it can sometimes be a challenge to make sure that kids behave. In such situations, you would probably have the best judgement on whether to bring the child to the hospital.

6. Get to know the facilities that the hospital offers

We’ve already established that contrary to popular belief, you will find different things available at different hospitals. This extends to the facilities too. So do take the time to get to know what is available at the hospital you’re visiting.

The standard facilities that you will find at any hospital will be outpatient care, a pharmacy, emergency services and a cafeteria among other things. Better equipped hospitals would have special rooms dedicated to different kinds of therapy as well.

However, did you know that there is this ONE hospital that has affordable dorms dedicated to visitors too?

The accommodation can be rented by family members of patients who are seeking treatment at Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) starting from… jeng jeng jeng!

…RM10 (double-decker beds), RM20 (single bed) and RM 50 (family room) per night!

Thanks to the Better Brighter Dormitory Project by the IJN Foundation and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), RM1.4 Million is going to the process of upgrading and expanding the dorms available at IJN over the course of the next 5 years.

These dorms are a great step forward in ensuring that the family of patients at IJN can always be close to their loved ones and do so at a reasonable cost without sacrificing comfort either.

More beds and more peace of mind for the family members, isn’t that great?