Hospital Canteen In Klang Temporarily Shut Down After A Rat Video Went Viral
The health office has ordered the canteen to cease operations until 1 September.
By Nandini Balakrishnan — 18 Aug 2017, 06:51 PM
A 32-second video clip of a rat on a buffet food counter, allegedly at a local hospital canteen, has recently gone viral on social media.
The rat could be seen picking up a piece of cabbage and nibbling on it in the video.
According to New Straits Times (NST), several comments on social media posts about the rat video said that the incident happened at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) in Klang.
Responding to the video, HTAR director Dr Ding Lay Ming, told NST that the hospital management has launched an internal investigation to verify the authenticity of the video and when it occurred.
"So far, we have yet to confirm that the video was taken at the HTAR canteen. We are investigating to find out where and when the video was recorded, before taking further action," Dr Ding added, as reported by NST.
The video does not have a timestamp, nor is there any indication on where it was taken at.
Soon after the video started circulating, the Klang District Health Office ordered a temporary shutdown of the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) canteen effective 2pm today, 18 August
The Malaysian Insight posted a photo of the notice which says that the Klang government hospital's canteen will have to cease operations until 1 September due to hygiene issues.
Dr Ding also told the news channel that the hospital is still unsure of where the video came from and that the shutdown of the canteen has nothing to do with the rat video.
"I really do not know where that (video) came from but we are making them (the canteen operators) clean up the canteen.
"We routinely spring clean the canteen. This video, I take it as an opportunity to ensure that the operators clean it properly," she explained.
Dr Ding explained that while a two-week closure notice is the health department's standard operating procedure, establishments can usually reopen once it has been thoroughly cleaned
"We will inspect the place again this evening and if we are satisfied with the cleanliness, we will allow them to reopen later this evening,'' she told The Star today, 18 August.
The English daily also mentioned that this is not the Klang government hospital's first problem with hygiene. In April 2015, they were ordered to cease operations for two weeks for rodent infestation and lack of cleanliness, according to The Star.