00:00Naval cadet officer J. Susaimanikam, who died after completing his daily physical training,
00:06could have survived if he had received early treatment,
00:09a forensic pathologist told the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Tuesday.
00:14Datuk Seri Dr. Bupinder Singh testified that based on the available history,
00:19Susaimanikam had complained about difficulty in breathing and muscle aches.
00:23He said several symptoms suggested that the deceased likely had leptospirosis from the
00:28beginning. He also said if the deceased had been referred to a medical institution early,
00:34recovery would have been possible. Dr. Bupinder is the plaintiff's final witness
00:39in a negligence lawsuit filed by Susaimanikam's father, S. Joseph, against 11 Navy officers,
00:46the Navy commander, Malaysian Armed Forces Council, the defence minister,
00:51and the Malaysian government as the first to 15th defendants.
00:55Based on his examination, Dr. Bupinder said the cause of death was multi-organ
01:02failure, with disseminated intravascular coagulation due to leptospirosis. This
01:09differs from the Ipoh High Court's findings of pulmonary oedema caused by leptospirosis
01:15and the Sessions Court's findings of pulmonary oedema. Dr. Bupinder said it was not appropriate
01:22to list pulmonary oedema as the cause of death, as it was just a finding in the particular case.
01:29He also said the court that the post-mortem conducted by the medical officer was not
01:35appropriate, and should have been conducted by a trained forensic pathologist.
01:41Susaimanikam, a graduate cadet officer, was pronounced dead at the Armed Forces Hospital
01:47in Lumut on May 19, 2018. The hearing before Sessions Court Judge Ida Ismail continues on Thursday.
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