KOTA KINABALU: A doctor told the Coroner’s Court that he had advised the mother of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir to agree to a post-mortem examination, but she insisted on refusing.
Forensic medicine officer Dr Logaraj Ratha, 33, testified that he met Zara Qairina’s mother, Noraidah Lamat, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital II (QEH II) on July 17, on the day of the teenager’s death.
Dr Logaraj, who has been serving in the hospital’s Forensic Department since June last year, explained that without a post-mortem, the family would not be able to obtain a full forensic report that could be important for future matters, such as insurance or other official claims.
He said Noraidah appeared calm and coherent, and was able to understand his explanation, which he delivered in simple terms.
"I explained the option of a clinical post-mortem since police had already decided against a medico-legal one. But she told me clearly she did not want it," he said.
According to him, police investigating officer Insp Wong Yew Zhung had earlier informed him that Zara Qairina’s cause of death was already certified by neurosurgery doctors as "severe traumatic brain injury with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy".
Wong also told him that the police would not be issuing a POL61 form, which is required for a medico-legal autopsy.
Dr Logaraj said he stressed to Noraidah that once the body was released without a post-mortem, no further forensic findings would be available if questions arose in the future.
Despite this, she maintained her decision and signed the official declaration form refusing the procedure.
Her sister-in-law, Nurshira Abdullah, signed as a witness.
"I explained the importance of a post-mortem more than once. After she signed, I repeated my explanation again to make sure she understood what the decision meant," he told the court.
The court also heard that Zara Qairina had been treated by several hospital departments before her death, but the decision on whether to investigate further rested with the police.
Zara Qairina died a day after allegedly falling from a height at her boarding school on July 16.
Her death triggered the ongoing inquest to determine the circumstances leading to the incident.
Dr Logaraj was the seventh witness to testify.
The proceedings continue.
