'I’ve been denied grandchildren': Mother recounts alleged unauthorised surgery on daughter

Witness Nazlin Umar/SCREENGRAB

An emotional atmosphere engulfed the courtroom as a mother broke down while recounting what she claimed was a life-altering medical ordeal her daughter allegedly experienced at a private hospital.

Nazlin Umar told the court that her daughter had been admitted for an appendectomy, a procedure she said was fully explained to the family and consented to.

An appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix, a small finger-shaped pouch attached to the large intestine, typically performed as an emergency procedure to treat acute appendicitis (infection or inflammation).

However, she claimed that during the surgery, the doctor allegedly went beyond the authorised scope and carried out an ovarian drilling procedure without consent.

“There was no consent given to him, the hospital, or anyone whatsoever to enter her ovaries or conduct any gynaecological procedure,” Umar testified.

“What was agreed was an appendectomy. Anything beyond that was a violation.”

She said the surgeon later explained that he had located the appendix, found it discoloured, and removed it.

But, according to Umar, the procedure did not stop there.`

She claimed that the doctor reportedly proceeded to interfere with her daughter’s ovaries despite not being a gynaecologist.

The court heard that a video recording of the surgery, said to be about 40 minutes long, was later provided by the hospital and was played in court.

As the footage was shown, Umar emotionally narrated what she claimed it depicted, prompting an objection from the defence.

The court, however, allowed her narration, noting that it was necessary to establish the circumstances surrounding the allegations.

Umar claimed that the video reportedly showed both ovaries being subjected to drilling, which she said had devastating consequences on her daughter’s reproductive health.

"Each egg is being killed, burnt with a hot metal rod. And all the important parts that go to feed and take care of the egg were being burnt," she narrated as the video played in court.

The mother maintained that if any such procedure had been medically necessary, it should have been discussed beforehand and performed by a qualified specialist with informed consent.

Under cross-examination, Umar confirmed that she wanted the video formally produced as evidence, stating that it had been given to her by one of the doctors involved.

The defence questioned the authenticity of the footage.

They also objected to the introduction of new evidence at that stage of the proceedings.

Pressed to clarify her claim, Umar told the court that her grievance centred on the lack of consent for any procedure involving her daughter’s ovaries, cysts, or eggs.

She added that her daughter had a history of cysts from her teenage years but had been under the care of a leading endocrinologist and had been managing the condition.

Asked how the alleged procedure had affected her family, Umar became visibly emotional.

“It’s destroyed her life. Not just hers, but mine as her mother,” she said, her voice breaking.

“It has taken away her right to have children. I have been denied biological grandchildren. Her husband’s life has been affected. Her siblings have been denied the chance to be aunts and uncles.”

She told the court that the emotional toll had cut across cultural and family traditions, claiming her daughter had often felt excluded during family functions because she had no children.

"When functions are taking place in the larger family, they'll bypass this too because they don't have children to bring along and these are things we have seen and experienced and she's now hit the age of 40," she emotionally narrated.

Umar added that the couple had sought counselling and that she herself had suffered severe stress, high blood pressure and strokes following the ordeal.

Umar said she was present when her daughter was admitted to the hospital, describing her as being in severe pain and incapacitated by fever.

When asked about her profession, Umar told the court she is a philanthropist and works as a consultant, adding that she has no academic background in medicine, surgery or gynaecology.

The hearing continues.