SINGAPORE - A patient from Singapore General Hospital (SGH) took off on a "road trip" last Saturday (Nov 23), wearing a hospital gown as he rode a mobility scooter in a bus lane in Chinatown.

The unusual sight in Eu Tong Sen Street was caught in an 11-second video, which has been circulating online.

The hospital, when contacted by The Straits Times, confirmed the man was a patient at the hospital who left the ward on his personal mobility aid (PMA) without informing the staff.

Its chief nurse, Dr Tracy Carol Ayre, said patients who want to spend some time with their visitors out of the ward have to inform the staff, who will assess if it was safe for them to do so, depending on their medical condition.

"Patients are also reminded not to leave the hospital ground in case their condition changes," she added.

But should they leave the ward for a prolonged period, the staff will call them or their family members to find out their whereabouts and start a search within the hospital, she said.

The video was sent to citizen journalism website Stomp by 51-year-old Hamid Osman.

The digital content producer told ST that Mr Hamid was waiting at a bus stop when he saw the patient about to make a U-turn from the other side of the road.

Mr Hamid told ST: "I thought it was quite funny because usually when you see e-scooter or personal mobility device riders on the road, they're young kids, but this uncle was elderly and in the hospital gown, so I filmed him as he rode past in the bus lane."

He added: "Other people at the bus stop were looking and laughing as well."

PMAs, which include motorised wheelchairs and mobility scooters, are not allowed on roads. They, however, can be used on footpaths and cycling paths at a speed of up to 10kmh.

ST understands that the patient returned to the hospital later in the day... still on his mobility scooter.