Kuala Lampur, Sept. 17 -- The distraught mother of a 19-year-old student who died of tuberculosis (TB) last month has accused the Penang Hospital of incompetence resulting in her death.

Vivian Teoh, 47, who was sobbing as she berated Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye, said no amount of apologies will do any good at this point.

"Even if the whole Emergency Department apologise to us, it will be useless. My daughter is gone, can you bring her back? Can you compensate me by returning my daughter to me?" she demanded in between sobs when meeting with Dr Lee at the Penang Hospital here today.

She told Dr Lee that her daughter had been an active and brilliant student with good results in all of her school examinations and had been due ...