RM2m suit over baby's bungled procedure

NST: SHAH ALAM: The government has been slapped with a RM2 million suit over a bungled hospital procedure that resulted in the amputation of a baby's forearm.
The father of baby Lai Yok Shan filed the suit on her behalf at the High Court here yesterday.
The suit did not name the first two defendants while the third and fourth defendants are the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital director and the government.
The plaintiff's lawyer Gobind Singh Deo said the first two defendants were the doctors involved in the procedure and they were not named as their identities have yet to be revealed by the hospital.
The first and second defendants are the houseman and the consultant involved in the case at the Klang hospital.
He said an application to get their details would be made to the court and help would also be sought from the Attorney-General's Chambers on this matter.
The father, Lai Kian Khee, is seeking RM1 million in aggravated damages and another RM1 million in exemplary damages.
He is also seeking general damages, special damages, costs and any other relief deemed fit.
According to the statement of claim, Yok Shan, born prematurely in late July, was given a strong antibiotic injection.
However, the first defendant, who gave the intravenous injection after consulting with the second defendant, had injected a wrong part of the baby's left arm.
This led to an infection and the forearm had to be amputated on Sept 1.
The suit also stated that the first defendant was negligent as the injection was given to a wrong part of the arm while the second defendant was negligent as instructions were given over the phone.