Two doctors in Malaysia have been ordered to pay 6 million ringgit (Rs 11.42 crore) to the family of a woman who bled to her death after one of them left the hospital to grab a drink, according to a report in South China Morning Post (SCMP). The High Court in Klang ruled that the two doctors, identified as Muniandi Shanmugam and Akambaram Ravi, as well as three nurses on duty were responsible for the death of Punitha Mohan, who was admitted to the Shan Clinic and Birth Centre in Klang, Selangor, in 2019, shortly after delivering her second baby.
Of the Rs 11 crore in damages, Rs 95 lakh was for the dead woman's pain and suffering, Rs 1.9 crore for each of her two children, and Rs 57 lakh for each of her parents.
Delivering the verdict, Justice Norliza Othman said the two specialist doctors had failed to ensure that Ms Mohan was out of danger as she began to experience severe bleeding after her placenta was removed. Justice Othman added that although the nurses were not qualified by the health ministry, they were tasked with monitoring the patient's condition.
"The deceased's mother found that her daughter was bleeding heavily, and the nurses tried to stop it by using cotton. The patient was later transferred to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Klang (HTAR) in critical condition," read the verdict.
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Justice Othman added that the "tragic incident could have been prevented" if the two doctors had acted swiftly by "transferring her to HTAR and closely monitoring the patient's condition".
"Instead of leaving her in the care of nurses while Dr Ravi went out for a drink. This level of neglect is unforgivable as it contributed to the death of a healthy mother," the judge said.
The judge pointed out that the two doctors failed to consider common complications associated with childbirth, such as eclampsia and placenta-related issues leading to post-partum haemorrhage (PPH).
