Ex-pharmacist fails in bid to sue hospital over Covid-19 jab

2026-03-24 - 05:00

The High Court ruled that the hospital’s policy requiring all staff to adhere to strict Covid-19 prevention measures during the 2021-2022 pandemic was not ‘unreasonable’. KUALA LUMPUR: A former pharmacist has failed in her bid to sue a private hospital over alleged breaches of her employment contract after refusing the Covid‐19 vaccine, with the High Court ruling that the proper forum for her dispute is the Industrial Court. In dismissing her appeal, judicial commissioner Gan Techiong said that Sapura Noh, formerly a pharmacist-in-charge at Sentosa Medical Centre Sdn Bhd, had already filed a reference application at the Industrial Court. “She suffered no loss or prejudice, and exercised her right to refer her dispute to the Industrial Court,” he said. Gan also ruled that the hospital’s policy was not unreasonable in requiring all staff to follow the “highest and strictest” standard of Covid-19 prevention during the pandemic between 2021 and 2022. “As the plaintiff did not receive any vaccination, it was not unreasonable to require those who refused vaccination to go on ‘no-pay leave’ until the transition from pandemic to endemic,” he added. Noh filed a suit at the sessions court claiming that she was “forced” to resign in 2022 after repeatedly refusing vaccination. The hospital in 2021 required all employees to be vaccinated to enter its premises. Staff who failed to comply without a valid reason were placed on unpaid leave. Noh was placed on unpaid leave pending a domestic inquiry for insubordination, which found her guilty of violating express instructions but only issued a warning.