KLANG: A video clip of a rat casually helping itself to a piece of cabbage from a buffet food counter, allegedly at a hospital canteen here, went viral on social media recently.
Several hospital names were bandied about, including healthcare facilities in Seremban and Penang, but claims have been made that the video was taken at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR).
Following the surfacing of the 32-second clip, the management of HTAR launched an internal investigation to ascertain the authenticity of the footage and when the incident occurred.
HTAR director Dr Ding Lay Ming said the matter was brought to their attention just this morning, but the hospital management immediately ordered the internal investigation to be carried out.
"So far, we have yet to confirm that the video was taken at the HTAR canteen.
"We are investigating to find out where and when the video was recorded, before taking further action," Dr Ding said, adding that the hospital's canteen is regularly checked by health inspectors.
The 32-second video shows the rat, seemingly unafraid of the nearby smartphone-video-taker, at the food counter, reaching into a tray and pulling out a piece of cabbage.
Without hurrying away, the rat casually chews the leaf next to the food tray as the video-taker continues to record the scene. The phone occasionally pans right to reveal other parts of the canteen and patrons there.
However, the video clip, which went viral on WhatsApp groups, does not bear a time stamp, nor does it show signage indicating the name of the food outlet. A text message accompanying the video claims that it was taken at “Klang G. Hospital” (Klang General Hospital).