Hospital conducts brain death protocol tests on assault victim

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Hospital neurologists are still conducting brain death protocol tests on T. Nhaveen, 18, who is fighting for his life after the brutal assault on him last week.

Penang Health, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries, Rural and Regional Development Committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin said certain protocols needed to be followed before a patient is declared brain dead.

He said some of these tests have been carried out over the past few days.

"They have to monitor the whole situation, the period (of testing) depends on the condition of the patient," he said after visiting the youth and his family at the intensive care unit (ICU) here today.

According to the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH), the definition of brain death "is a state when the function of the brain as a whole, including the brainstem is irreversibly lost".

Nhaveen has been admitted to the ICU after he was assaulted and apparently sodomised about 2am on June 2 while out for supper with a friend, identified as T. Previin, 19.

Both were out buying burgers at Jalan Kaki Bukit when another group started teasing them leading to an exchange of words and the eventual assault.

Previin managed to escape but Nhaveen was not so lucky when the group cornered him at a nearby field during the incident.

Police have since detained five suspects, including two still in high school, to assist investigations and are also searching for the object purportedly used to sodomise the victim.

G. Premalatha, 35, an aunt of Nhaveen, said the family was waiting for the medical report.
"We pray for a miracle," she added.
With her was D. Shanti, the mother of the victim, who looked worn out by her ordeal, but she quickly retreated back to the ICU ward when photographers started taking pictures.

"No pictures, no pictures," she said, a call echoed by other relatives who were with her, while Premalatha urged the media to respect their privacy and the public to pray for her nephew.

When met later at his hospital bed, Praviin said the socket of his right eye was fractured when he was attacked and surgery was scheduled soon to repair the damage and was thankful his vision was not affected.

He said he has visited Nhaveen at the ICU and prayed for the recovery of his friend while there.