British engineer in tears as he recalls wife’s death

The Star, 24th July 2008.

KUALA LUMPUR: It was an emotional day in the High Court as Briton Matthew Scott Oakley tearfully related how his Malaysian wife died while undergoing surgery to remove excess fat in her abdominal area.

Oakley is suing cosmetic surgeon Dr George Varughese, proprietor of a clinic in Bangsar, and freelance anaesthetist consultant Dr Raja Kumar Rajendram, claiming that they had been negligent while treating his wife, Nik Rosemawati Nik Mohamed, which led to her death in 2004.

The 38-year-old civil engineer, who now resides in Dubai, said his 43-year-old wife, a diabetic, sought treatment from Dr Varughese for excess abdominal fat after giving birth to their two children.

Oakley said the procedure recommended by Dr Varughese was removal of fat by liposuction under sedation and local anaesthetic, followed by wearing a compression garment continuously for six months and a tummy tuck. He said Dr Varughese assured him and his wife that the procedure was perfectly safe.

“Nik came out of the treatment room to see me in the waiting room. We kissed and I assured her that everything was going to be OK and she left for the operating theatre. I never thought that it would be the last time we would speak with each other,” Oakley said.

He said his wife was sedated and underwent surgery at 3pm on June 21 2004 at Dr Varughese’s clinic.

He said Dr Varughese later informed him that the operation was successful and he was waiting for Nik Rosemawati to wake up from the anaesthetic. However, at about 8pm, Dr Varughese informed him that Nik Rosemawati’s blood pressure had suddenly gone to zero and her heart stopped and CPR was used to resuscitate her.

He said the doctor then told him that he did not know the reason but said it might be due to shock or reaction to the anaesthetic and it was necessary to transfer her to Gleneagles Intan Hospital in Ampang to see if there was brain damage. Oakley said in the hospital, his wife’s condition continued to deteriorate and she died at 7.50am on June 23, 2004.

In his statement of claim, Oakley - who is seeking RM520,431 in damages for loss and suffering - said a post-mortem revealed that his wife suffered and died from extensive internal haemorrhaging. The defendants denied they were negligent.

The hearing before Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat continues. – Bernama.

Doctors queried about surgery

The Star, 14th July 2008.

KUALA LUMPUR: Doctors who performed cosmetic surgery on Datin Fatimah Wan Chik who is now in a coma, have been summoned for questioning and stern action will be taken against them if they are found to have violated the Medical Act.

Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said ministry officers had called the doctors to explain the complicated surgery of the still-hospitalised Fatimah, wife of former Labuan MP Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman.

Official launch: Liow (right) opening the Trois International Beauty Care Outlet at Ampang Waterfront in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Fatimah has been on life-support since Jan 18, after she had a tummy tuck, liposuction and surgery for her eye bags at a clinic in Klang on Jan 9.

“We expect to have the outcome of the investigation soon,” he told reporters after opening the Trois International Beauty Care Outlet here yesterday.

He said his ministry would table the Cosmetology Bill in Parliament by the end of this year so that beauty centres could be strictly regulated.

“Beauty care centres should exercise self-regulation and ensure that they use or sell only approved products. They must place the safety of consumers above all else,” he said, adding that his ministry had inspected 19 premises and seized 122 unauthorised products worth around RM56,000 for the first six months.

On another issue, Liow said he would personally look into a complaint by medical graduates that a local university did not hold a competency test as scheduled.

He said three local universities - Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia - hold the test for graduates from unrecognised institutions.

The graduates are required to pass the competency test before they can register with the Malaysian Medical Council. The graduates can only take the test three times.

Recently, a Chinese newspaper reported that a group of graduates who had been assigned to sit for the test at Universiti Sains Malaysia, found that the university had cancelled the test and they were now forced to wait for another year.