‘I PULLED THE PLUG’

Knutt, 56, of George Village, Tableland, would have died anyway, Chatoorgoon told Newsday yesterday. The South West Regional Health Authority said yesterday that the authority had not embarked on any investigation because proper protocol was followed in removing Knutt off a ventilator at the hospital’s Accident and Emergency department.

Knutt’s family said they were informed by Chatoorgoon about his decision to pull the plug. Knutt was warded at the Accident and Emergency (A and E) on Friday night and he was medically treated for haemorrhage in the brain.

Around 4.45 pm on Sunday, Chatoorgoon, in consultation with acting Head of the A and E department Dr Shivanand Gopeesingh, removed Knutt from the ventilator and he (Knutt) died.

Insisting that protocol was followed, Chatoorgoon said yesterday: “Protocol was followed in every step of the way; the decision taken to remove Knutt off the ventilator was legal.”

Chatoorgoon said that on Saturday, he received a telephone call from Goopeesingh, requesting that he visit the A and E department as a second consultant, to assess Knutt, who had been pronounced brain-dead.

Chatoorgoon said, “Dr Goopeesingh told me that attempts to contact physicians from the medical department had proven futile and he asked me to come and examine the patient — Abraham Knutt.”

However, Chartoorgoon said, a decision was taken to examine Knutt for a another 24 hours. Chatoorgoon said when he examined Knutt on Sunday evening it was agreed that he was brain-dead.

“I immediately informed Knutt’s wife — Sita and her children, who were present at the hospital, about her husband’s condition. It was only after the family told me to discontinue the ventilator, then the plug was pulled.” Knutt died at about 4.45 pm. Chatoorgoon is Head of the Anaesthetic Department at SFGH.

The protocol for the diagnosis of Brain Stem Death was issued by the former Chief Medical Officer Dr Rohit Doon when the first incident occurred in 2000. Doon’s protocol states that the irreversible cessation of all functions of the brain stem should not normally be considered until at least six hours after the onset of a coma.”

The protocol also states that the diagnosis of brain death must be made either by two doctors acting independently, with each examining the patient on no less that two separate occasions. Or, by two doctors jointly carrying out a set of tests on each of the two ocassions, which must be at least six hours apart.

The doctors may include a consultant or senior registrar and anaesthetist. Relatives must be informed beforehand.

Confirming that family members were present at the time of Knutt’s death, Knutt’s wife — Sita, yesterday told Newsday: “The doctors did all they could to save my husband. When I saw my husband unconscious we all decided to spend the final minutes with him then we instructed the doctor to pull the plug on him.”