Teen Undergoes Four Amputations After Ampang Hospital Allegedly Gave Wrong Anaesthetic Dose

By Karissa Lund  •  22 Jan 2021 in News

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According to FMT, J Krishnasamy has filed a medical negligence suit against a government hospital and doctors after his teenage son became permanently disabled after having undergone several operations.

K Vimal Raj, 17, had his left hand below the elbow amputated, right leg below the knee cut off and the left heel and toes severed back in 2019 when he was just 15 years old at Ampang Hospital.

Lawyer Harwinder Kaur, who appeared for Krishnasamy, today said judge Ahmad Bache allowed the application made by senior federal counsel Anisah Normah Muhammad.

In the statement of claim, Vimal was said to be a normal child without any critical illnesses or genetic issues, except for having an allergic reaction in his genital area prior to his admission to the hospital.

He was only diagnosed as suffering from “balanitis”, which is said to be a treatable condition that most commonly happens in uncircumcised males. Treatment often includes anti-fungal creams, antibiotics, improved personal hygiene and circumcision.

On 15 Jan 2019, Vimal was admitted to Ampang Hospital but he was discharged just two days later without having fully recovered from balanitis. His parents also claimed that he was discharged without a thorough explanation from medical personnel about his condition.

A week after, the teenager fainted and was taken to the emergency room. The teen then fell into a coma and was placed in the intensive care unit (ICU).

One of the medical personnel attending to the boy instructed the father to sign a blank consent form without clarifying the risks and type of treatment or medication they would be administering to his son.

While in the coma, the father noticed that Vimal’s toes and hands were becoming dark and turning black, and had also become swollen. Throughout the whole time, Krishnasamy said the hospital’s medical personnel failed, refused and neglected to provide any information to him on his son’s worsening condition.

When the teen finally woke up, his hands and foot began oozing foul-smelling fluid.

Soon after, the hospital’s cardiologists, paediatricians and orthopaedic doctors informed the parents that there was a possibility their son had cancer or had contracted HIV. However, the hospital then failed to make a proper diagnosis of Vimal’s alleged illnesses.

The failure of which caused him to be prescribed with various types of medications without recognising the origin of the disease he was suffering from.

According to The Vibes, a meeting was then held between the teenager’s father and other medical professionals. Ampang Hospital deputy director Dr Zulfadli Yunus told the patient’s father that the hospital had made a mistake in giving his son an anaesthetic dose.

“These officials also apologised for the mistake, and informed us that the patient’s life could be saved, but not his left hand and right foot,” the statement of claim said.

Between 15 March and 26 Nov 2019, the boy’s left arm below the elbow, right leg below the knee, and the heel and toes of the left foot were all amputated causing him to suffer severe disabilities.

In the statement of claim dated 11 December 2019, the teen’s parents are suing the hospital and Health Ministry for negligence.

This year on 8 Jan, High Court Judge Ahmad Bache ordered the ministry and the hospital to provide Krishnasamy reports, notes, records and consent forms within 14 days. The judge also ordered the hospital and the government to file their defence by 22 Jan 2020.