SHAH ALAM: Fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim was advised to avoid using his mobile phone when he was at the intensive care unit of the National Heart of Institute so that he wouldn’t come across reports about him, the coroner’s court was told today.
IJN intensive care unit director Datuk Dr Suneta Sulaiman told an inquest into Adib’s death that doctors gave the 24-year-old fireman some rules when they gave him his mobile phone.
Adib was injured in a fracas at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple on Nov 27. He was hospitalised for three weeks and died on Dec 17 due to lung failure.
Suneta is the 15th witness called to the inquest, which was in its 10th day. She said Adib was communicating using sign language and a whiteboard at first, but had later asked doctors for his mobile phone.
Another witness, surgical assistant Muhammad Ashraff Baruji, told the inquest that Adib had nodded when asked if he had been beaten during the riots at the Sri Maha Mariamman temple last November.
Ashraff said this occurred between Dec 10 and 12 while he was getting Adib ready for bed. He said that Adib could only communicate by writing on a whiteboard or with body language as he had tubes running through his mouth and could not talk.
“That night, I was getting Adib ready for bed after his night physiotherapy session,“ Ashraff said, adding he then asked Adib if he remembered what had happened.
“I didn’t think about the question but it just popped out of my mouth. I asked him: do you remember what happened? He shook his head.
“I then told him, ‘it’s ok, when you are ready, you can tell me what happened’. When I turned to leave, Adib tugged on my uniform and motioned for me to get the whiteboard.
“I then asked him: ‘were you pulled?’ to which he raised his left hand to his left shoulder and made a pulling motion.”
Ashraff said he asked Adib if he had fallen, but Adib shook his head and waved his left hand to signal a negative reply.
He then asked Adib if he had been beaten to which Adib nodded his head to indicate he was, he said.
“I asked him if he knew where he was and he pointed down, which meant he knew he was at the hospital. Then he started getting restless, moving his hands and legs on the bed. I told him to get some rest and that I would see him tomorrow.”
Deputy public prosecutor Hamdan Hamzah then asked Ashraff if Adib was aware and conscious before his confession.
Ashraff said he was sure Adib was aware of what he had communicated.
