Renowned Engineer’s siblings sue hospital, surgeon for his death

August 26, 2014, By KNews, Filed Under News, Source - Kaieteur News

The brother and sister of the late renowned pioneering engineer Melvyn “Mel” Sankies is suing well known surgeon Shaik Amir and the Medical Arts Center Ltd on Thomas Street for his death.

The late Melvyn Sankies

In a writ filed last week through Attorney at Law Mortimer Coddett, Geoffrey and Jean Sankies are seeking damages and pecuniary compensation in excess of $50M for injuries their famous brother suffered while he was under the care of the hospital, which they believe resulted in his death three years ago.

The siblings are convinced that their brother’s death was due to negligence, carelessness and or recklessness of the staff of the medical institution.

They believe that the hospital’s mismanagement to the extent of virtually “throwing Sankies into the jaws of death solely because of negligence and improper treatment given to him while he was a patient during and after surgery” was also responsible for his demise.

A post mortem revealed that Sankies, died of hypovolaemic shock (an emergency condition in which severe blood and fluid loss makes the heart unable to pump enough blood to the body), as a result of perforation of the femoral artery.

This was after Dr. Amir had performed surgery for hernia.

The post mortem was witnessed by Dr. Walter Ramsohoye who acted as a friend of the Sankies family.

Geoffrey and Jean Sankies are administrators of the dead man’s estate.
Sankies died on august 25, 2011 at the age of 73, hours after he was admitted to the Medical Arts Center for an hernia operation.

According to an affidavit in support of the writ, Sankies was admitted to the hospital on the morning of August 25, 2011 and was seen by a doctor at 10:00 hours in preparation for the surgery.

The surgery commenced 45 minutes later.

Two hours after the surgery, Sankies’ condition worsened and he began vomiting.

He was subsequently transferred to the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Georgetown Hospital where he eventually died later that day.

“I went to see him later that afternoon, and he died about 10 minutes after I arrived at the Accident and Emergency Department of the GPHC,” Geoffrey Sankies told this newspaper.

He is convinced that the injuries that caused his brother’s death had nothing to do with an hernia operation.

Medical Arts and Dr. Amir have 10 days within which to respond.

Source -- http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....rgeon-for-his-death/