Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Former YB's family threatens to sue hospital

Kota Kinabalu: The family of the late former Assemblyman Bugie Galadam who died on April 1 is threatening to take legal action against Hospital Kota Marudu for alleged negligence.

Bella Oswanda Galadam who lodged a police report (KM/RPT/1015/2008) on April 8 said her father was admitted to the hospital on March 16 after suffering a heart attack and complications arising from water in the lungs.

In the report, she said Bugie was discharged from the hospital on March 21 despite his condition being still not stable.

She said when her father collapsed, her mother, Helen Sherry Pai took him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead by a medical officer at the hospital.

"I contacted the management of the hospital to ask why my father was discharged from the hospital and also why it did not refer him to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) immediately," she said.

Also in the police report, her mother Helen claimed a doctor had informed her that Bugie could not be discharged since his condition was very serious.

However, she said another doctor had proceeded to discharge her husband from hospital.

Hospital Kota Marudu, she said had been too slow in sending her husband to the QEH even though he clearly needed treatment from a heart specialist.

Helen said she and her family went to see the deputy director of the hospital on April 7 to find out the reasons why Bugie had not been referred to the QEH considering it was the second time he suffered a heart attack, the first being in 2003.

She said the explanation given by the deputy director was unsatisfactory.

According to her, she has also sent a letter to the Sabah Health Department to conduct a detailed investigation.

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