Justinian Tan was hit by a car in Johor Baru on August 25 and died of his injuries on Wednesday. — Picture via Facebook/Joshua De Rozario

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — Portal The Independent SG has taken down a controversial article alleging that the death of Singaporean hit-and-run victim Justinian Tan was the result of a Johor hospital’s negligence.

The article has since been replaced with an apology with the title “We’re Sorry!”, after the Health Ministry said yesterday will be writing a formal letter to Singapore soon to express its dissatisfaction over the report and is mulling a legal suit.

“We unreservedly apologise to the parties concerned for the anguish and distress this incident has caused,” said the amended article.

Yesterday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the ministry will be consulting its lawyers on possible legal action as the allegations had hurt the country’s image as well as the reputation of its healthcare workers who had worked hard to save the Singaporean youth who suffered serious brain injuries after being hit by a car in Johor Baru last week.

Dr Subramaniam was responding to unverified news reports published on several Singaporean portals that suggested 25-year-old Singaporean Justinian Tan had died after being involved in a hit-and-run car accident due to delayed treatment from the Johor Baru general hospital.

According to the original article that cited friends of Tan who were also involved in the August 25 accident, the ambulance took 30 minutes to arrive at the accident scene though the hospital was located just 9km away.

Hospital staff were also accused of demanding a deposit of RM2,700 before treating Tan and another friend hurt in the accident as well as a further payment of RM1,350 to perform brain scans on Tan.

One of Tan’s friends identified as Joshua De Rozario has since clarified his previous remarks, attributing it to possible miscommunication as the hospital spoke in Malay, a language that he did not really understand.

But Dr Subramaniam said the allegations “are very serious as the Health Ministry has a principle that human life must be given the highest priority”.

Tan died on August 30 in Singapore. His parents had moved to discharge him from the Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor Baru despite the doctors’ warnings of risk due to the severe brain injuries sustained.