Zara was brought to hospital in an unconscious state.
A medical officer from Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE) told the Coroner’s Court in Kota Kinabalu today that no bruises or signs of abuse were found on Zara Qairina Mahathir when she was examined on 16 July.
Dr Janefer Voo, 32, from the Emergency and Trauma Department, said the 13-year-old was brought in unconscious by an ambulance team, but the cause of her injuries was not immediately known.
“The examination found no bruises or signs of abuse. However, the patient was suspected to have suffered severe brain injuries and internal bleeding. Due to critically low blood pressure, it was believed she sustained internal injuries from high-impact force,” she said while reading her statement on the fourth day of the inquest.
A trauma alert was activated at 4.42am, triggering referrals to the Neurosurgery, Orthopaedics, Surgery, and Anaesthesiology departments while resuscitation procedures were carried out.
Asked by deputy chief prosecutor II Badius Zaman Ahmad about Zara’s survival chances upon arrival, Voo said she could not be certain at the time but confirmed the girl was in critical condition.
Blood tests revealed abnormalities, including a high white blood cell count and low potassium levels, consistent with the body’s stress response to trauma. X-rays showed multiple fractures: a closed fracture of the right hand radius, closed fractures of the right tibia and ankle, an open fracture of the left tibia, ankle and heel, and breaks in the second, third and fourth lumbar vertebrae.
Voo said several staff, including paramedics, her superior Dr Rahim, and other trauma team doctors, assisted in the initial treatment.
To a question by lawyer Rizwandean M Borhan, representing Zara’s family, she said the team did not contact police upon admission as priority was stabilising the patient. “I did not see any police officers or the victim’s mother at the emergency department that day,” she added.
The inquest before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan continues after the lunch break.
Zara, a Form One student, died on 17 July at HQE, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her Papar school dormitory at 4am. On 8 August, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) ordered her body exhumed for a post-mortem, and on 13 August directed an inquest after reviewing the police investigation report.