1-6-2024 (SINGAPORE) A Bangladeshi businessman, Mr Noor Alam, 51, who travelled to Singapore for spinal treatment, is suing his neurosurgeon after allegedly becoming paralysed following a medical procedure. Concurrently, Gleneagles Hospital has initiated legal action to recover over S$1 million in unpaid medical bills from Mr Alam.
Mr Alam, who has been hospitalised since July 2022, initially sought specialist care at Gleneagles in 2019 for persistent neck pain that had not improved with physiotherapy. According to court documents, Dr James Tan Siah Heng, a neurosurgeon, diagnosed Mr Alam with a prolapsed disc and spinal cord compression, recommending surgery to replace the disc. The operation was completed without complications, and Mr Alam returned to Bangladesh.
However, Mr Alam developed a wound infection that eventually healed, leaving a benign skin tag. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he could not return to Singapore for a follow-up consultation until July 2022. Dr Tan then recommended a radiofrequency medial branch neurotomy, assuring Mr Alam that it would be a quick and straightforward procedure to alleviate his pain.
According to Mr Alam’s lawyers, Mr Raj Singh Shergill and Ms Desiree Koh Jia Min from Lee Shergill law firm, the local anaesthesia injection during the procedure allegedly caused injury to Mr Alam’s spinal cord. Subsequently, he experienced weakness in his left arm and leg, which progressed to all four limbs, resulting in permanent disability. An expert report confirms that Mr Alam is now wheelchair-bound and incontinent.
In his May statement of claim, Mr Alam accuses Dr Tan of breaching his duty by failing to provide adequate information about the risks and benefits of the procedure compared to other options. Mr Alam continued to be hospitalised at Gleneagles after the incident. The hospital, in its statement of claim, clarified that Dr Tan is a private specialist with “clinical admitting privileges” and is not employed by Gleneagles.
In February, Parkway Hospitals Singapore, which operates Gleneagles, sued Mr Alam for non-payment of his hospital bills, which had reached S$1.13 million as of January 9, 2024. The hospital claims Mr Alam was deemed fit for discharge by the end of August 2022 but refused to leave or transfer to a rehabilitation centre. Mr Alam’s defence against this suit alleges that a representative from Gleneagles in Bangladesh led him to believe Dr Tan was sufficiently integrated into Gleneagles, making the hospital liable for Dr Tan’s actions.
Mr Alam also claims that both Dr Tan and Gleneagles advised him to remain at the hospital for treatment while deferring court proceedings and assured him that medical bills would be postponed pending a payout from Dr Tan’s professional liability insurers. Mr Alam’s lawyers have requested that Gleneagles’ claim be suspended until he receives compensation from Dr Tan, including coverage for the hospital bills.
