Stanley Isaacs, the former head of prosecution at the Attorney-General's Chambers, was awarded RM735,596 in damages by the Kuala Lumpur High Court today, over the death by negligence of his wife, four years ago. 

The damages comprised of special damages of RM95,596; general damages of RM140,000; and aggravated damages of RM500,000.

Judicial Commissioner Aliza Sulaiman also ordered the defendants to pay RM120,000 in costs.

Dr Suzanne Thomas, the former HKL Outpatient Department head, died on the Christmas day in 2014, at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL). 

Isaacs had filed the claim of negligence and breach of contract in 2016 against HKL, nine doctors, three nurses and the government for negligently causing the death of his 63-year old wife.

Isaacs listed negligence and contractual violations, and among them, giving her two types of medication which she is intolerant to, despite Thomas giving them warnings about the medications.

In April this year, the government admitted liability in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur for Thomas's death.

Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom today, Isaacs said the case served as a lesson to hospitals and doctors to ensure that negligence and recklessness should not happen, especially to ordinary people who visit the hospital for medical treatment.

Isaacs (photo), who appeared to struggle for words as he was overwhelmed with emotions, said that the incident had left an indelible scar in his heart.

"This has been the most heartbreaking and tragic event in my life. I'm not here for money or financial gain. The intention of this action was to send a message to the hospital concerned and to other hospitals and doctors that every life in their hands deserves their unstinting professionalism," he said.

In a statement later, Isaacs said he and his family are pleased and relieved that the court proceedings have been concluded and he is grateful to the court for the award of damages.

"It was greatly troubling to me that the hospital where she had served for a long time as a doctor herself had failed to handle her condition with the most obvious urgency and action that was required during admission," Isaacs added.

Thomas first sought treatment at a private hospital in Petaling Jaya, where it was diagnosed that she had septic arthritis. As a result, she had sentimental and clinical reasons to go to HKL on Dec 20, 2014.

Manmohan said a medical officer in HKL and one of the doctors, who was mainly blamed for the incident, refused to consider the diagnosis of septic arthritis made at the private hospital.

As a result, HKL diagnosed her to have osteoarthritis, and as such the doctors decided little need to be done over the weekend compared, to the diagnosis of septic arthritis.

She was transferred to the intensive care unit that Dec 21 as her condition worsened, before passing away four days later.