Malaysian Doctors Fined Rs 11 Crore After One Leaves for Drinks, Leading to Patient's Death Post-Childbirth

Kuala Lumpur: The High Court in Malaysia has ordered two doctors to pay Rs 11.42 crore in compensation to the family of Punitha Mohan, who died due to medical negligence in 2019. One of the doctors was found to have left her unattended to go for drinks, leading to her bleeding to death after childbirth, acoording to report.

The High Court in Klang held doctors Muniandi Shanmugam and Akambaram Ravi, along with three nurses, responsible for the death of 36-year-old Punitha Mohan. She died of postpartum hemorrhage shortly after delivering her second child at the Shan Clinic and Birth Centre in Klang, Selangor, in 2019.

The Rs 11 crore in damages was allocated as follows: Rs 95 lakh for the 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 that the two specialist doctors failed to ensure Ms. Mohan's safety as she began experiencing severe bleeding after her placenta was removed. Justice Othman also noted that while the nurses were not health ministry-qualified, they were assigned to monitor the patient's condition.

The verdict read, “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,”

"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," Judge said.

"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". Justice Othman said.