Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur — Attraction in Kuala Lumpur

IS IT PANTAI HOSPITAL’S STANDARD FOR EMERGENCY ROOM STAFF TO BE HARSH, INDIFFERENT AND DEVOID OF EMPATHY—TREATING PATIENTS WITH CALLOUS DISREGARD RATHER THAN CARE?

Patient Experience Review – Pantai Hospital Bangsar Emergency Room Date: 27/03/2025 Time: 3:30 PM Room: C (Yellow/Mid Section), Bed 8 Attending Doctor: Dr. Rajsree Navanitoh Karishanan Nurses: 1 Male, 1 Female (Malay) – Names Not Recorded ECG Report Signed by: Dr. Yap Soon Yuen

I am writing to formally raise concerns about the substandard care I received at Pantai Hospital Bangsar’s emergency room during my visit on March 27, 2025. While I have visited Pantai a few times for emergency care due to its proximity, this experience has left me questioning the hospital’s medical ethics, professionalism, and hiring standards, particularly regarding its emergency staff.

Unacceptable Conduct of Emergency Room Nurses

Rudeness & Lack of Empathy from the Female Nurse The female nurse who conducted my ECG and attempted to insert a needle for medication was exceptionally rude and dismissive. Despite witnessing my extreme pain and distress, she showed no compassion, acting with an unprofessional, almost arrogant attitude rather than providing comfort or reassurance. Emergency patients require attentive and responsive care, yet she acted as though assisting me was an inconvenience rather than her duty.

Incompetence in Basic Medical Procedures The same female nurse failed to insert the needle correctly on her first attempt, causing unnecessary additional pain. Instead of apologizing or taking responsibility, she casually passed the task to the male nurse, who had to make a second attempt. THE MALE NURSE SCOLDED ME WHEN I BEGGED HIM TO HELP ME AS I WAS STILL IN EXTREME PAIN AFTER HE ADMINISTERED PAINKILLERS. HE COULD SIMPLY TELL ME IT WILL KICK IN SOON BUT I WAS DISSED TO HIS ANNOYANCE. (KARMA WILL CATCH UP). Their lack of skill and teamwork was deeply concerning, making me question the hospital’s standards for training and competency assessments.

Unprofessional & Disinterested Attitude Both nurses behaved more like divas than trained medical professionals in an emergency setting. You guys are NURSES ACT LIKE ONE - OR ARE YOU SICK IN THE HEAD? They moved around the room carelessly, showing no sense of urgency or dedication to patient care. When I pleaded for assistance, instead of responding promptly, they continued to act indifferent, with no effort to offer basic human decency, let alone professional medical care.

Doctor’s Lack of Communication & Dismissive Attitude Dr. Rajsree provided little to no explanation about my condition, repeatedly stating it was “normal,” despite this being my first experience with such excruciating pain. A patient experiencing a medical crisis requires clear information and some level of empathy, neither of which were given. The consultation felt rushed, as if my pain and distress were an inconvenience rather than a genuine medical emergency.

Recommendations & Next Steps

I urge Pantai Hospital’s Emergency Department and Human Resources to: Investigate the conduct of the two nurses who attended to me and evaluate whether their behavior aligns with hospital standards. Reprimand both individuals and assess their competency in patient care. If they are unable to uphold the basic principles of nursing—compassion, professionalism, and skill—they should seriously reconsider their career choices. ⁠Re-evaluate training programs for ER staff to ensure they understand how to handle emergency cases with urgency, empathy, and proper communication.

Conclusion: For a private hospital, this level of service is unacceptable. In fact, I have experienced better care in some government hospitals. Patients who come to the emergency room are already in distress—they should not have to beg for basic medical attention or tolerate unprofessional and incompetent behavior.

I hope this feedback is taken seriously, and that corrective actions are implemented to prevent other patients from going through a...

I am a non-Malaysian seeking cosmetic surgery to remove excess eyelid skin, I was drawn to Malaysia Health Tourism’s promise of safe, reputable care. Trusting Pantai Hospital’s international reputation, I chose Dr Kim Tan, who operates from Block A, A701, within Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

The outcome was both disappointing and disturbing. After the procedure, my eyelids were uneven and badly stitched. When I raised this with Dr Kim, his response was: “I am not going to do any more. You’ve got to live with it.” He later smirked, refused to answer further, and walked back into his office. What a humiliating snub. No follow-up care was offered, and his nurse confirmed there were no instructions left for me. This conduct was negligent and unprofessional. If Dr Kim had intended to resolve the matter, he or his staff would have contacted me to arrange a review. There was no further communication. This failure to follow up is a clear breach of duty of care. I paid for this procedure with the basic expectation of safe, competent care and professional accountability. Instead, I was dismissed with the words “live with it” when the outcome was clearly substandard. I now require corrective surgery to repair the damage. This is more than personal disappointment, it represents a failure of duty of care that undermines patient trust and damages the credibility of Malaysia’s Medical Tourism industry.

I escalated my case to Pantai Hospital, expecting the institution to uphold the standards it promotes. Instead, I was told that Dr Kim is an “independent consultant” who merely leases space in the hospital, and that Pantai bears no responsibility for his outcomes.

Quote from Pantai Hospital email: “To clarify, Dr. Kim Tan is an independent consultant who operates his own licensed ambulatory centre at A701 within Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur. The hospital’s role is limited to LEASING the clinic space to Dr. Kim Tan, and it does not participate in or manage his clinical practice"

This defence is unacceptable. Pantai Hospital cannot present itself as a trusted healthcare provider for international patients while, at the same time, claiming it is only a landlord when outcomes go wrong. If any consultant can practise under Pantai Hospital’s roof without oversight, patients are misled and left unprotected.

Under Malaysia’s Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act (PHFSA) 1998, private hospitals are licensed to ensure that all care provided within their premises meets required standards as well as aim to protect patient rights and ensure accountability.

Pantai Hospital’s claim that it is “only a landlord” undermines the very purpose of this law.

Pantai Hospital cannot profit from International Medical Tourism while disclaiming responsibility when harm occurs under its roof. This contradiction places patients at risk and erodes trust in Malaysia’s healthcare system.

I share this case as a warning to prospective International patients: if this can happen to me, it can happen to anyone. Patients deserve protection, not disclaimers. I will also be sharing my experience with media outlets in several countries to alert others that if something goes wrong at Pantai Hospital, they may have no recourse - not from the “independent consultants” and not from the...

My experience at Pantai KL fell short of every expectation and more. I went in for a day care procedure. I'm from Sarawak and handling insurance stuff wasn't possible at all from a distance. Thankfully I arrived 2 days before my intended procedure schedule and was able to submit my admission form early. The next day I waited for their call but nothing came through despite the hospital reassuring me it would. I tried to call them and even message the admission line that was provised the day before. Nothing. I went in the next day at 2pm as requested for early admission. Tried to sort out my insurance then, but the hospital didn't get a response from my insurer so they chased up. When they finally did, the insurer had rejected it due to the hospital been taken off the panel recently. And yet, the hospital couldn't tell me that despite detecting my insurance provider 2 days earlier. Across the board, I felt 50% of their staff were very newly onboarded. Blur and unsure of many things. The atmosphere was just a general unprofessional vibe. Instead, slapping me with a big "pay & claim" deposit with no assurance of coverage. This was of course very stressful because the bill was bordering on 5 digits and I didn't plan for it since I tried everything to make it work beforehand. I got really upset and started crying (on hormones) frantically in the hallway about how messy everything was and how inconvenient/ unthoughtful/ inconsirate the hospital made me feel, especially after I've blocked out my entire week, booked flights, stayed at hotels just to attend to this procedure. I almost contemplated not to proceed until my mum offered to help me pay the bill first.

Thankfully the procedure proceeded as scheduled. Things with my regular doctor was went smoothly and was largely uneventful.

I finished the procedure at 550pm, woke up at 630pm. I was wheeled out of the ward area at 8pm. Moved to another secluded ward. No staff in sight. My last meal was 11am so I was really hungry. The sandwich that was promised never came. We went to check for updates at 9pm, 930pm. By 10pm I had enough of waiting so I decided to "discharge myself" out of frustration. Asked the nurses to remove my drip needle. Told them I was leaving. Only then everything started moving. I got my outstanding injection and antibiotics within 10 minutes. They told me I didn't have to wait for discharge or billings anymore (which btw closed at 9pm). They told me I only had to go to the pharmacy to pick up my medication. I was about to leave after the pharmacy, but realised I had no documents for the insurance claim that I now had to do because the hospital failed to informed me they weren't on the panel of Mediexpress anymore. We were directed to A&E to get an itemised bill. Got there and was told "sudah tak boleh" bill belum siap come tomorrow. Great.

The whole experience really speaks volumes to the dysfunction and below average management of the hospital. Nurses complaining non stop about over working. Don't blame them. So disappointing and such a negative experience especially after a whole week of medical appointments I was so exhausted and I just can't wait to get home. I was given this last slip of paper to contact for my billings and...