Khatan: Mahkamah perintah klinik bayar RM359,000 kepada keluarga

Mahkamah Sesyen Kuala Terengganu has ordered private dental clinic Hijraa Healthcare Sdn Bhd to pay RM359,000 in compensation to a 10-year-old boy and his family after a botched circumcision procedure three years ago. Chief Judge Wan Nor Aklima Wan Salleh allowed the family's claim against the clinic after determining they had successfully proved their case based on equal chances.

The clinic was ordered to pay RM300,000 as general damages and RM59,122.90 as specific damages. The family initiated the compensation claim after the clinic filed a lawsuit against them and another Facebook user, following negative reviews about the clinic. The lawsuit against both women was dismissed after the court found their claims based on facts and their experiences with the clinic.

In their compensation claim, the mother stated her son underwent a circumcision procedure at the clinic in February 2023, after which he experienced uncontrollable bleeding. The procedure was performed by two doctors in attendance, and the mother accused them of not warning her about the potential risks her son might face. The child was then admitted to Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, and surgery was performed to correct the damage caused by the two doctors.

Hospital doctors testified that it is not normal for someone to experience uncontrollable bleeding after such a procedure and that it cannot be determined whether the condition will impact the child's future sexual function. Aklima accepted the hospital doctors' assessment of the child's condition and decided that both doctors were negligent.

She explained that the child has experienced serious injury to his genital area, resulting in the loss of a significant amount of foreskin, a permanent scar, and requiring extensive hospital care and further surgical procedures, including full thickness skin grafting. She also noted that the child's sexual function as it relates to his sexuality has not yet been determined, as he is still a child, and a full evaluation can only be made once the patient reaches puberty and adulthood.

Additionally, the judge stated that the lawsuit filed against the mother and Facebook user represents a form of pressure aimed at preventing her from pursuing the medical negligence claim.