The Klang High Court has ruled against two doctors and three nurses in a tragic case of medical negligence that resulted in the death of M Punita, a 36-year-old mother, just hours after childbirth. The court ordered Dr. M Shanmugam and Dr. A Ravi, along with unregistered nurses Izaniey Nataliah Jukimin, Nur Aida Mat Isa, and Nessy Yasah, to pay RM6 million in compensation to Punita's family.
Punita passed away on January 9, 2019, at a maternity center owned by Dr. Shanmugam, due to postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). The critical bleeding, which is a well-documented risk associated with childbirth, was poorly managed by unqualified staff left in charge of her care.
Dr. Ravi, who had been attending to Punita, assured her family that she was stable before leaving the clinic. In his absence, three unregistered nurses none of whom were recognized by the Ministry of Health Malaysia were tasked with monitoring Punita's condition.
Punita's mother discovered her daughter in distress, bleeding heavily while the unregistered nurses attempted to stop the haemorrhage with gauze. The delay in receiving proper medical attention proved fatal.
Punita was transferred to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) in Klang in an attempt to save her life. However, by the time she arrived, she had lost significant blood and developed disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), a severe complication that made her condition irreversible.
High Court Judge Norliza Othman delivered a scathing critique of the doctors' negligence.
"Despite their extensive experience in obstetrics, both doctors failed to anticipate complications commonly associated with childbirth, such as eclampsia and placenta-related issues leading to PPH," said Judge Norliza.
She emphasized that neither doctor ensured that Punita was free from complications before leaving the delivery room. Instead, they left her care to nurses without the appropriate qualifications or training, a decision that ultimately cost Punita her life.
Both doctors, who collectively possess over 60 years of experience and have handled more than 8,500 childbirths, were found to have failed in their duty of care. Their inability to provide adequate oversight and their reliance on unqualified staff were deemed grossly negligent by the court.
Source: Berita Harian
