Woman ‘unable to walk’ was discharged

A woman who had an operation to remove her gallbladder at Kerry General Hospital was discharged two days later even though she was in severe pain and unable to walk, the High Court was told yesterday.

Farzana Zahan said she was in such pain she could not hold her two-month-old daughter and had to be rushed back to the hospital the next morning.

Opening the case, counsel John O’Mahony said that in the first gallbladder operation, a duct was cut, and there was no excuse for the damage and it was “inexcusable and substandard”. He said there was later no identification of the underlying problem and Ms Zahan nearly died of multi-organ failure. Ms Zahan at one stage was on an artificial ventilator in ICU and it was “a life- threatening situation”, he said.

Ms Zahan, aged 32, Deerpark Vale, Manor West, Tralee, Co Kerry, has sued the HSE for damages for alleged negligence over an operation to remove her gallbladder at Kerry General Hospital, Tralee, Co Kerry, in March 2012.

It is claimed during the operation, surgery clips were placed on the main liver ducts and this allegedly caused Ms Zahan to suffer a major bile duct injury and life threatening sepsis causing multi-organ failure.

It is further claimed following the surgery at Kerry General Hospital, Ms Zahan was discharged from hospital in circumstances which it is alleged was negligent, as she was suffering worsening symptoms including abdominal pain.

There were further instances of negligence in the management of the care of Ms Zahan, it is alleged, before corrective surgery was carried out when she was transferred to Mercy University Hospital, Cork, on June 1, 2012.

The claims are denied.

The case before Ms Justice Mary Irvine continues.