Hospital facing RM1m suit over ambulance delay

NST: GEORGE TOWN: A factory engineer yesterday filed a RM1 million suit against the Kepala Batas Hospital, accusing it of gross negligence leading to his wife’s death.
Abdul Ghafur Mohd Ibrahim accused the hospital of being directly responsible for Yusnita Abas’ death by failing to give her prompt treatment.
The 37-year-old quality assurance engineer with a factory in Prai, named the Kepala Batas hospital director and the government as defendants.
He is seeking RM4,194 in special damages, RM1 million as general and exemplary damages, interest and other costs deemed fit by the court.
Ghafur, who filed the suit at the High Court here through his lawyer, Jagdeep Singh Deo, claimed the hospital’s failure to provide an efficient emergency service was outrageous and condemnable.
In his statement of claim, Ghafur said his wife had gone to the hospital about 1pm on Oct 11 last year complaining of severe headache.
He claimed Yusnita was made to wait more than five hours before blood test results showed she may have a clot in her brain.
Yusnita was then rushed to the Seberang Jaya Hospital about 7.30pm where a CT scan confirmed her condition.
She was then taken back to the Kepala Batas Hospital only to be rushed to the Penang Hospital in another ambulance.
However, she was pronounced brain dead by the time she arrived at 10.40pm.
Yusnita died about 3.30pm on Oct 13.
Ghafur claimed his wife’s death could have been avoided if she had been properly diagnosed and given prompt treatment at the nearest neurosurgical centre.
He also accused the defendants of failing to provide an efficient ambulance service.
Ghafur said the defendants had been negligent as they failed to ensure that ambulances at the Kepala Batas Hospital were in good working condition and filled with petrol at all times.
He claimed his wife was a healthy person who died when she was just 31 years old, leaving her husband and three children, aged between two and 12.
Ghafur claimed his wife’s death had caused severe psychological and emotional stress and trauma to his family.