Everything About the CGH Case Where They Have to Pay $326K Damages to a Deceased Cancer Patient

By
Shawn Ambrose
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From 2007 to 2011, Noor Azlin Abdul Rahman visited Changi General Hospital (CGH) several times for various medical conditions.

Then, in 2012, the woman was diagnosed with lung cancer.

She believed her doctors were negligent and could have detected her cancer earlier, so she sued the hospital and three doctors.

Her claim was dismissed by the High Court in 2018, but after appealing, the Court of Appeal ruled in her favour the next year.

While the doctors were cleared of negligence, serious lapses were found in CGH’s system, which they now have to pay the price for, literally.

CGH Ordered to Pay $326K Damages to a Deceased Cancer Patient

On Tuesday (19 Jan), the High Court ordered CGH to pay S$326,620 in damages to Noor Azlin’s estate.

The ruling comes nearly two years after the woman won an appeal against CGH for not detecting her lung cancer earlier.

In April 2019, the Court of Appeal ruled that Noor Azlin could have been diagnosed and treated earlier, if it wasn’t for CGH’s negligence.

According to TODAYonline, the damages will be paid to her estate, which is being executed by her brother, Mr Azmi Abdul Rahman.

S$250,000 was awarded to her estate for her pain, suffering, and loss of amenity.

Another S$54,000 was awarded for a dependency claim, as well as S$19,620.61 for medical expenses and S$3,000 for transport expenses.

In addition to the damages, CGH also has to pay S$105,000 in legal costs.

Sadly, two months after winning her appeal in Feb 2019, Noor Azlin died from cancer, in the fourth stage of the disease, at the age of 39.

In court, CGH’s lawyers argued that it wasn’t certain Noor Azlin would have been completely cured if she had been treated earlier.

Justice Belinda Ang found this statement to be “beside the point”, as there’s never a 100% chance that someone with cancer would be cured.

However, Justice Ang believed that CGH’s breach of duty caused Noor Azlin’s cancer to worsen, causing a relapse in 2014 and her death in 2019.

What Happened

It all started in Oct 2007, when Noor Azlin visited the hospital’s emergency department for lower chest pain and shortness of breath.

An X-ray showed an opacity in the right mid-zone of her chest, so she was referred to Respiratory Medicine Specialist Outpatient Clinic.

In Nov 2007, she saw a respiratory doctor at the clinic and had another X-ray. The doctor assessed that the opacity “appeared to be resolving or had resolved on its own”.

Then, in April 2010, she returned to the emergency department complaining of right-lower chest pain. A doctor ordered an electrocardiogram and X-ray, and the X-ray once again showed an opacity.

After comparing it with her 2007 X-ray, the doctor assessed that it was stable in size, and unrelated to her present symptoms.

In July 2011, Noor Azlin visited the emergency department once again, this time for intermittent left-lower ribcage pain.

Dr Jason Soh Wei Wen, a medical officer, ordered two X-rays. A report from the X-rays was prepared, but Dr Soh did not receive it. 

Moreover, he was unaware that another doctor had previously found an opacity and recommended a follow-up on the opacity.

In Nov and Dec 2011, the woman visited Raffles Medical Clinic and a doctor referred her to a respiratory physician at CGH for further evaluation.

There, she had another X-ray, but also a CT scan, which revealed a nodule. The nodule appeared to be benign, but a radiologist recommended a biopsy.

Then, in Feb 2012, a biopsy confirmed that the nodule was malignant and that Noor Azlin had lung cancer.

Featured Image: Google Maps

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Shawn Ambrose
Email: [email protected]