KUALA LUMPUR: The late naval cadet officer J. Soosaimanicckam could have survived if he had received early treatment, the Sessions Court heard today.
A forensic pathologist, Datuk Seri Dr Bhupinder Singh also said he believed that multiorgan failure due to leptospirosis was the cause of Soosaimanicckam's death.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection caused by Leptospira, often spread through water contaminated with animal urine, and symptoms include fever, headache and muscle pain.
The senior doctor said this when testifying in a negligence lawsuit brought by the deceased's family against 11 Royal Malaysian Navy officers, the RMN chief, Malaysian Armed Forces Council, defence minister and the government as the first to 15th defendants.
He said most people recover from Leptospirosis in a few days or a week with patients with severe symptoms needingto be treated in a hospital.
"Leptospirosis is treated with antibiotics that should be given as early as possible and intravenous (IV) antibiotics may be needed for people who have more severe leptospirosis symptoms.
"Early treatment with antibiotics may help prevent severe illness and further complications," he said before Judge Idah Ismail today.
The witness also disagreed with the post-mortem report, which stated that Soosaimanicckam's death was caused by pulmonary edema, a condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs' air sacs and impairs breathing.
"I am of the opinion that the post mortem conducted by the medical officer is not appropriate and it should have been conducted by a trained forensic pathologist.
"A lot of things mentioned in the post mortem report has not been looked into to come to a proper diagnosis.
"The doctor who conducted the post mortem failed to send specimens for investigation especially the blood and urine samples which the doctor said were not available.
"Samples of the liver, kidneys, adrenals and spleen were not taken for histopathology which would have been very helpful for a proper diagnosis," he said.
Dr Bhupinder said based on his conclusion, the deceased was exposed to contaminated water right from day one and the condition progressed rapidly in a very short period.
The witness added there were other trainees who were also infected from the same area and referred to the hospital for treatment and recovered.
In the lawsuit filed on May 19, 2021, the victim's family is alleging negligence on the part of the defendants for failing to provide emergency treatment when the victim collapsed on the day of the incident, and further claimed negligence in monitoring his wellbeing and health during training sessions.
The plaintiff is seeking general damages, aggravated damages, exemplary damages, and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Soosaimanicckam, a Graduate Cadet Officer, was pronounced dead at the Armed Forces Hospital in Lumut on May 19, 2018.
The High Court in Ipoh yesterday overturned the open verdict by the Coroner's Court over Soosaimanicckam's death and reclassified it as homicide.
Judge Datuk Abdul Wahab Mohamed said the RMN officer responsible for the cadet's training had acted to deny the cadet medical treatment, which led to his eventual death.
On June 16 last year, the Sessions Court sitting as the Coroner's Court issued an open verdict regarding the inquest to determine the cause of death of the graduate cadet officer.
The RMN, in a press statement on May 20, 2018, reported that Soosaimanicckam had complained of chest pain and shortness of breath in his dormitory block after completing physical training at around 12.20pm.
The physical training was part of the daily routine for trainees.