Woman tells court doctor ruined her life

A woman testified at the Hall of Justice yesterday that the doctor she is suing for medical negligence  has ruined her life.

Forty-five-year-old Dorean Dyall has filed a civil suit against Dr Earl Brewster and Stanley’s Medical Clinic Limited for special and aggravated damages amounting to $85,000. Brewster had performed an operation on Dyall in 1995 to remove fibroids and clear the blockage of her fallopian tubes and in 1998, he performed a hysterectomy at Stanley’s Medical Clinic in St Clair. Dyall testified yesterday at the Port-of- Spain Fifth Civil Court before Justice Mark Mohammed that after the hysterectomy in 1998, her life was affected “tremendously.” In response to questions by her attorney, Odai Ramishchand, Dyall said that she feels as if Dr. Brewster had taken away her womanhood and that she has suffered anguish and a loss of pride as a result of the hysterectomy. She also testified that when she went for her operation in 1998 at Stanley’s Medical Clinic, a nurse gave her a consent form to sign but there was an error on it. The document reportedly stated that her right ovarian cyst was to be removed. However, Dyall was schdeduled to have her left ovarian cyst removed. She said she brought this error to the nurse’s attention who told her to inform Dr Brewster. Dyall in previous testimony said that Dr Brewster acknowledged that she was right about the error on the document. Attorney Ramishchand said that Dr Brewster had alleged that Dyall had given him instructions to remove any unhealthy or cancerous organs during her operation in 1998. Dyall responded that she had given Dr Brewster consent to remove parts of organs that were cancerous but he had told her that she had no signs of cancer.

In the cross-examination by defense attorney Douglas Mendes, Dyall said that she was not aware that another doctor, Dr Ralph Hoyte had assisted with her operation in 1998. However, she admitted that she was aware that Dr Brewster had “consulted” with Dr Hoyte. Dyall in earlier testimony said that she had  tubal surgery to remove her fibroids on July 6, 1995 at Stanley’s Medical Clinic. After the surgery, she said that a splint had been placed in her fallopian tubes to protect them from blockage. Under cross-examination she said that this splint was “a little thicker than a thread.” She also testified that after the surgery on July 6, 1995 she suffered from pains and a high fever. She said that she measured her temperature herself which was 103 degrees farenheit. She testified that she called Dr. Brewster on July 21 to tell him of her symptoms and a couple days after, Dr Brewster accompanied her to Stanley’s Medical Clinic to have the splint removed. She said that on that day she was still suffering from “pains and fever.” Mendes then presented the court with a medical report from Stanley’s Medical Clinic that Dyall did not have a fever and that her temperature on that day was recorded as being lower than normal body temperature. The case continues on Thursday.