Wife, doctors, settle for fish bone death

A MOTHER of two whose husband died of complications from surgery after a fish bone was removed from his throat, has reached an out-of-court settlement with three doctors.

The confidential settlement reached last week was a sequel to a R605 000 lawsuit filed in the Durban High Court by Sarthamoney Nunlall, also on behalf of her two minor children, against Drs Tejprakash Maharaj, an ear, nose and throat specialist, Anand Gopal Naidu, a surgeon, and Suren Chetty, a general practitioner.

The three doctors initially denied Nunlall’s claim that they were liable for the March 2008 death of her self-employed husband, Maganlall.

Nunlall was represented by advocate Vinay Gajoo, SC, and Justice Reichlin Ramsamy Attorneys.

She said her husband, who underwent the initial surgery on February 25, 2008, at Life Healthcare Mount Edgecombe Hospital (which was not sued) to remove a fish bone which got stuck in his throat, would have continued to support her and her children financially and in other respects had it not been for his sudden demise.

Before the fish bone got stuck in his throat he was in reasonably good health, she said. “On admission to the hospital my husband had entered into oral contracts with Dr Maharaj, Dr Naidoo and Dr Chetty.

“They owed my husband a duty of care and had undertaken to manage and treat him with care,” she said. “He was first examined by Dr Chetty in the hospital’s outpatient department and was then referred to Dr Maharaj and Dr Naidoo.”

She said after Maharaj had examined him on February 25, 2008, the doctor noted that the patient had a prickly feeling in his throat.

“An X-ray which Dr Maharaj had requested was performed on his upper body. The X-ray indicated that my husband’s throat was blocked. Dr Maharaj performed surgery under general anaesthetic. Maganlall was discharged the same day,” Nunlall said. “Subsequently his throat became swollen.

“The next day he was unable to swallow anything and was in severe pain. The right side of his chest had tightened.

“After Maharaj was contacted and told that my husband was in severe pain and that his throat was swollen, he reassured us that the symptoms were expected from such surgery.

“He prescribed Myprodol. The deceased was feverish and was unable to swallow his saliva.

“After Dr Maharaj was informed on February 28, 2008, that my husband’s condition had deteriorated, he asked that he be re-admitted,’’ claimed Nunlall.

She said Maharaj performed laser surgery the same day.

“My husband’s temperature was very high and his white blood cell count had risen sharply. Dr Maharaj had prescribed intravenous drips and three antibiotics. Because Maganlall’s condition had deteriorated, Dr Maharaj ordered that he be admitted to the intensive care unit on February 29, 2008.

“Between March 1 and 5, Maganlall’s condition appeared to be improving.

“During that period he was referred to Dr Naidoo, who in an attempt to improve the deceased’s oxygen desaturation, placed an underwater chest drain. On March 6, 2008, an assessment by Dr P Maharaj, a cardiothoracic surgeon, showed that the throat was perforated.

“My husband was subsequently transferred to Westville Hospital to drain excess fluids,” claimed Nunlall. “He endured a stormy post-operative period and died of sepsis and complications on March 23, 2008.’’

Attorney Altus Janse van Rensburg of MacRobert Incorporated, who represented the three doctors, confirmed that an out-of-court settlement had been reached. He said the agreement was confidential.