KUALA LUMPUR: A medical expert told the Sessions Court here that navy cadet officer J. Soosaimanicckam died due to a heat stroke six years ago.
Kol Dr Nik Mohd Noor Nik Amin, 48, who is the head of emergency department at Hospital Angkatan Tentera (HAT) in Lumut, Perak, reached this conclusion based on his previous experience handling military training.
According to the army doctor, Soosaimanicckam was unconscious when he was brought to the emergency department by his friends on May 19, 2018.
"He was not breathing and did not have a pulse," Kol Dr Nik Mohd said in his witness statement here on Tuesday (Sept 3).
The witness, who is the seventh witness for the defendant, testified in a civil lawsuit filed by Soosaimanicckam's father, S. Joseph, against 11 navy officers, the navy commander, the Malaysian Armed Forces Council, the Defence Minister, and the Malaysian government as the first to 15th defendants.
Kol Dr Nik Mohd said that a paramedic on duty had begun CPR on the deceased based on Basic Life Support guidelines (BLS), and an on-call medical officer began early resuscitation treatment.
Soosaimanicckam was pronounced dead more than an hour later after CPR started.
Lawyer Latheefa Koya, who represented Soosaimanicckam’s family, asked the witness to clarify the type of training that could cause someone to die of heat stroke.
The witness replied that heat stroke could happen when an individual is doing exercises such as running, but this depends on the person’s fitness level.
During a re-examination by Federal Counsel Abdul Hakim Abdul Karim, the witness reiterated that Soosaimanicckam’s cause of death was heat stroke.
“I feel strongly that the deceased died due to a heat stroke because of the training. His fellow friends had also been admitted to the military hospital due to heat stroke before his death.
“Apart from that, the deceased’s blood test and the symptoms he showed indicated a heat stroke,” Kol Dr Nik Mohd said.
In the lawsuit filed on May 19, 2021, the victim's family alleges 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 claims negligence in monitoring his well-being and health during training sessions.
The plaintiff seeks general damages, aggravated damages, exemplary damages, and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Soosaimanicckam, a graduate cadet officer, was pronounced dead at the HAT in Lumut on May 19, 2018.
Last year, the Ipoh Coroner's Court delivered an open verdict during the inquest into the cadet officer's death to ascertain the cause.
On July 29, the Ipoh High Court set aside the coroner’s open verdict and revised it to homicide.
The hearing continues before judge Idah Ismail on Sept 9.
