Two doctors were found guilty of medical negligence after leaving a patient experiencing critical bleeding under the care of an unregistered nurse.
Both of them went out for a drink during the incident.
The Klang High Court ruled that Dr M Shanmugam and Dr A Ravi, along with nurses Izaniey Nataliah Jukimin, Nur Aida Mat Isa, and Nessy Yasah, must pay RM6 million in compensation to the family of the late M Punita in a case of medical negligence that led to the victim’s death during treatment.
Punita, 36, passed away several hours after childbirth at the maternity centre owned by Dr. Shanmugam, due to postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) on January 9, 2019.
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Although assuring that the patient was stable, Dr. Ravi left the clinic and placed the victim under the care of three unregistered nurses who were assigned to monitor the patient’s condition, despite not having the qualifications and registration by the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
When Punitha’s mother entered the delivery room, she found her daughter experiencing heavy bleeding, while the nurses tried to stop the bleeding using gauze, reported Berita Harian.
Both Dr M Shanmugam and Dr A Ravi were absent at this critical moment
To save the patient’s life, the victim was transferred to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) in Klang, but to no avail. Her condition was already critical due to significant blood loss and the development of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).
High Court Judge, Norliza Othman told the doctors,
“Despite their extensive experience in the field of obstetrics, both doctors failed to anticipate complications commonly associated with childbirth, such as eclampsia and placenta-related issues leading to PPH.”
“Both of them left the delivery room without ensuring that the deceased was free from complications. Nurses without appropriate qualifications were left to manage the patient.”
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Both doctors have a combined expertise of over 60 years in the field of obstetrics, including having handled over 8,500 childbirths.
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