Hospital Security Guard Denies Woman Entry Due To Dress Code & Allegedly Uses Racist Slur
She was requested to visit the hospital urgently by the doctors.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 21 Mar 2024, 01:48 PM
A woman recently claimed that despite her having been urgently summoned by the doctors, a security guard denied her entry to a hospital as her outfit was against the dress code
In an X post published yesterday, 20 March, Carol Yong said the guard refused to let her enter because she was wearing shorts.
"I'm wondering why guards at Hospital Sultanah Aminah Blok D refused me entry on the basis of me wearing shorts (skimming the knee) despite me making it clear the doctors were requesting my immediate presence?" she wrote.
When contacted by SAYS for clarification today, 21 March, Yong explained that she is the main point of contact for her ill uncle.
"The doctors wanted to see me urgently regarding his medical condition. They needed clarity and some background [on my uncle] and I needed to be there.
"He's warded, that's why I went to the ward block," she said.
Yong alleged that the guard not only refused to let her enter, but also used a racial slur
"This is a government hospital, do you know that?" the guard allegedly yelled, to which Yong responded that the doctors needed to see her urgently.
According to Yong, she was not allowed to enter until the nurses provided her with a pair of patient pants.
She also claims that the guard said, "Semua India Cina macam b*b* (All Chinese and Indians are pigs)."
"How much longer are we gonna fight over attire at hospitals? Aren't you tired? And the racism; [is that] acceptable? When are we going to resolve this?" Yong asked in her X post
She tagged the hospital and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad in the X thread, demanding answers.
In December last year, Dr Dzulkefly said that patients should be assessed based on the severity of their illnesses, not what they are wearing, reported the New Straits Times.
However, Yong told SAYS that the minister's statement only addresses patients, but not visitors who could be going to hospitals for urgent matters.
"We can never seem to get a straight answer from the Health Ministry or hospitals over this dress code issue," she said.
According to Yong, hospital dress codes are considered regulations, not laws. She said security guards should exercise good judgment and discretion when handling different situations.
In an update, Yong said the hospital has contacted her, and the security guard has apologised to her
"The guard acknowledged what he had done and said, and apologised. The hospital [also] apologised for the incident.
"I acknowledged and thanked the guard and the hospital for their prompt action," she wrote.
Yong expresses hope that the hospital dress code issue can be resolved to prevent similar cases from occurring.
