A 22-year-old woman, Nurul Iman Abu Mansor, has been awarded RM1.1 million in damages by the High Court after a botched surgery left her with permanent nerve damage in her right hand. The court ruled against Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur and Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon, Datuk Seri Dr. Zulkharnain Ismail, holding them responsible for medical negligence.

According to NST, Nurul Iman's ordeal began when she sought treatment for persistent pain and numbness in her right hand in 2018. Diagnosed with right carpal tunnel syndrome, she was advised by Dr. Zulkharnain to undergo surgery to relieve the symptoms. Her first surgery took place in January 2018, but instead of alleviating her condition, it caused her more severe pain.

Despite several follow-up consultations, the pain persisted, prompting Dr. Zulkharnain to recommend a second surgery in June 2018. Unfortunately, the complications only worsened after this procedure, and Nurul Iman lost sensation in three fingers on her right hand.

Frustrated by the lack of improvement, Nurul Iman sought further treatment at Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC), where she was diagnosed with median nerve damage. Corrective surgery was advised, and in April 2019, Dr. Jamari Sapuan, a hand and microsurgeon at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Specialist Centre (UKMSC), performed the procedure. During the surgery, Dr. Jamari discovered that five centimeters of Nurul Iman's median nerve had been resected during the earlier surgeries.

Despite the corrective efforts, the damage had already taken a toll. Nurul Iman continued to suffer from median nerve palsy, limiting her ability to use her right hand for everyday tasks and leaving her with a permanent disability.

In response to her suffering, Nurul Iman filed a lawsuit against Gleneagles Hospital and Dr. Zulkharnain, accusing them of negligence. Her claim was that the median nerve had been mistakenly severed during the first surgery in January 2018 and that the doctor had delayed the necessary corrective measures.

The court, presided over by Judicial Commissioner Suzana Muhamad Said, ruled in favor of Nurul Iman, finding that Dr. Zulkharnain had failed in his duty to inform her of the risks involved in the surgeries, particularly the potential for nerve damage. The ruling confirmed that the injury to Nurul Iman's median nerve was the result of medical negligence, and the delay in addressing the damage further compounded her suffering.

As a result, Nurul Iman was awarded RM1.1 million in damages to compensate for the physical and emotional trauma she endured. The court recognized her ongoing disability and the severe impact the negligence had on her life.

To date, Nurul Iman has undergone eight surgeries two at Gleneagles and six more at UKMSC as part of her prolonged battle to restore functionality to her hand. However, the damage has left her with lasting physical and emotional scars, forever altering her life.

The case highlights the critical importance of proper medical care and timely interventions, as well as the devastating consequences that can arise from negligence in the medical field.

Source: NST