A MOTHER of six is suing the anaesthetist who was in attendance at the Caesarian birth of her last child in 2006.
Ms Joanne Tong, 39, charges that as Dr Gordon Yau was negligent while inserting a breathing tube down her airway ahead of the Caesarian, he 'erred in his duty of care' and 'overstrained and/or injured her neck during the procedure'.
Ms Tong, a former lawyer and the former chairman of the People's Action Party's Women's Wing, claims she continues to suffer severe pain in the neck and back, numbness in her hands and feet, and often loses her balance.
She also said she is now unable to drive her children around or help them in their schoolwork because she cannot sit up for long.
She is seeking damages.
The trial is slated to begin in the High Court on July 27, with Ms Tong represented by lawyers Melanie Ho, Chang Man Phing and Yuwen Teo-McDonnell from WongPartnership.
-- ST
SINGAPORE: A mother of six has taken an anaesthetist who attended to her during the Caesarian birth of her last child in 2006 to court for allegedly causing her neck injuries.
Mdm Joanne Tong Seok May, 40, claims that Dr Gordon Yau Hok Man had "overstrained and/or injured her neck" while he was inserting a breathing tube down her airway in the process of administering general anaesthesia.
As a result, she has
been suffering from severe pain in the neck and back, pins and needles
in her hands and feet, and chronic headaches, claims the former lawyer.
Dr
Yau is denying all allegations and said in court documents that he had
not flexed, extended and/or tilted Mdm Tong's head while performing the
procedure.
Mdm Tong, who is now an English tutor, said she now
suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder with a major depressive
disorder and has to take more than 20 pills a day because of the
ailments.
Mdm Tong, represented by Ms Melanie Ho, is seeking
unspecified damages. Besides alleging Dr Yau carried out the intubation
improperly, Mdm Tong claims he had fallen "appallingly short of
acceptable standards in his practice of medicine" because he had
allegedly failed to adequately assess her physical condition before
carrying out the procedure.
Dr Yau, who is in private practice at
Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, is also alleged not to have sought and
obtained Mdm Tong's consent for general anaesthesia, and nor did he
explain the nature and risks of the procedure.
But Dr Yau
contended that it was the "usual and standard practice" for Mdm Tong's
gynaecologist, with whom he had been working with for some years, to
advise patients accordingly. He argued further the tube was successfully
inserted in one attempt without any difficulty.
His lawyer, Mr
Lek Siang Pheng, noted Mdm Tong had also signed a consent form
indicating that the nature, risks and alternatives of anaesthesia had
been explained to her.
Mdm Tong's account was that she was
unaware the consent form was for procedures other than the Caesarian
section and that she had not read it before signing.
Among the
nine witnesses that Dr Yau will call include a private investigator, who
conducted surveillance on Mdm Tong and found that she was able to
engage in normal activities.
When the hearing began on Thursday,
Mr Lek grilled Mdm Tong as to whether her gynaecologist had already
discussed with her about the anaesthesia procedures, thus making it
unnecessary for his client to repeat the same.
Mdm Tong denied
this, saying they only spoke generally about anaesthesia being necessary
for Caesarian births, but did not delve into the type of anaesthesia.
She
added that she felt Dr Yau was the best person to explain and advise
her about the risks because it was his area of expertise but he had not
done so.
The hearing, scheduled for 19 days, continues on Monday.
-- TODAY
sounds like she anyhow sign forms....
she will win the case. if nothing else, because of her pap connections.