Missing samples was the highlight of the inquest into the death of local actress K Sujatha as it entered its fourth day today.
Two doctors of the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital testified that they could not confirm what actually happened to the samples taken from the actress.
First, Dr Vengkata Prathab said he ordered samples of blood, urine and gastric lavage to be taken from the actress on the first day she was warded at the hospital's emergency ward on June 19, 2007.
"I had ordered these samples to be taken immediately after she arrived at the emergency ward."However, doctors who treated her at the normal ward did not receive the report on the tests," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Prathab agreed with deputy public prosecutor Anselm Charles Fernandis, who was assisting coroner Mohd Fauzi Che Abu, that the results of the samples were very crucial to conclude conclusively that the patient died due to poisoning.
He told the coroner that personally, he had a bad experience when samples taken from his mother were also reported missing.
Prathab said that although such cases occurred occasionally, doctors should not be singled out for blame as it involved several departments of the hospital.
"In Sujatha's case, other doctors and I focused more in giving emergency treatment to the patient," said Prathab.
He was testifying at the inquest into the death of Sujatha, 28, who died at the hospital in Klang on June 25, 2007, four days after admission for allegedly drinking weedkiller.
(Source: Malaysiakini - Support Mkini - Subscribe to Mkini!)
WOW! I wonder if cases of missing samples are common in the Tengku Ampuan Aminah Hospital only or they are common in all the government hospitals. I wonder what the Minister of Health, China man Liow has to say or explain to the people regarding these 'acceptable' ocassional occurences.
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