By Desiree Tresa Gasper and K.C. Chan

JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA - Hospital Permai has set up an independent committee to investigate complaints of mistreatment following a police report lodged by one of the patients.

Hospital director Dr Abdul Kadir Abu Bakar said the committee would consist of doctors and matrons from other government hospitals and social workers.

"This group will have an independent view of how patients are being taken care off in the hospital," he said.

Dr Abdul Kadir said the committee was formed following a police report lodged by a patient at the hospital who alleged that he had been beaten up and kicked by the hospital staff.

Lee Chuan Chai, 39, alleged that two workers at the hospital had assaulted him causing him to break his right hand.

Dr Abdul Khadir said initial investigations showed that the complainant had been involved in a brawl with another patient and had used a chair to hit him.

"Our staff tried to intervene and they might have accidentally hurt him in the process," he said, adding that the hospital did not condone any form of beating.

Meanwhile, Johor Baru (North) OCPD Asst Comm Ruslan Hassan said this was the first time that a report had been lodged about abuses at the hospital.

"Previously we have received reports about brawls between patients but this time the allegations are against the staff," he said.

Earlier last week, Lee, who was admitted to the hospital for schizophrenia, had come to The Star to complain about the alleged abuses against him.

He claimed that the staff had also hit and punched other patients at the hospital who were slow in responding to instructions.

--The Star/ANN