Docs give reports of deaths

TWO doctors from the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) who were summoned by a coroner’s inquiry panel last month for not disclosing some information when they testified earlier appeared yesterday.
Dr Arnold Waine and Dr Sidney James informed the inquiry into the death of Rex Wanzing that they were responsible for surgeries that resulted in two other deaths.
Magistrate Josephine Kilage said the reason they had to summon the two doctors to appear again was to establish if the other two deaths on Aug 12 were caused when the particular batch of propofol was administered to the patients.
Waine said the patient (named) he was dealing with in the other theatre had been transferred from Malalaua in Gulf.
The patient had a growth on his liver that needed to be removed.
“The objective of the surgery was to remove the primary problem and fix the tubes from the liver to the intestine,” he said.
The patient’s condition deteriorated post-op and he died. Former Chief Justice Sir Arnold Amet asked Waine if the same batch of propofol was administered on his patient.
Waine said the administration of propofol and related activities was the responsibility of the anesthesia team.
Kilage asked Waine if he had contact with another patient (named) that day.
Waine said it was a 67-year-old woman who had throat cancer.
He said the cancer had blocked the passage of food to her stomach and the surgery was to allow food and nutrients to be fed directly to her stomach.
He said after the surgery, the patient was drowsy and never recovered.
“We waited for three hours in the theatre as she was still under sedation,” he said.
The patient was transferred from the theatre to the critical care unit but died later.
James also gave his account of the deaths that occurred at the theatre that day.