Hong Kong compensates for death of Indian-origin lawyer

HONG KONG - The hospital authority in Hong Kong has agreed to pay compensation to an author after the death of his Indian-origin wife 10 years ago sparked off allegations of racism.

The hospital authority, which denied racism charges for the past 10 years, Thursday agreed to pay author Martin Jacques a substantial sum just 24 hours before they were due in court, over the death of his wife, Harinder Veriah at Ruttonjee Hospital here in 2000, Hong Kong’s Standard newspaper reported Thursday.

Veriah, an India-origin lawyer working in Hong Kong, had an epileptic fit while celebrating the millennium in Causeway Bay. She was immediately taken to hospital, where she suffered another fit the next morning and was given a sedative, after which the doctor left her.

However, she soon went into respiratory arrest, followed by cardiac arrest. Doctors could not resuscitate her and she was declared dead four hours later on January 2, 2000.

Veriah’s death had sparked off allegations of medical negligence and racial discrimination.

Though an inquest held in 2000 saw the coroner recording a verdict of death by natural causes, Jacques has always insisted that racism had played a part in his wife’s death.

“She told me ‘I am at the bottom of the pile’. I was very shocked and said ‘What do you mean?’ She said: ‘I am the only Indian here, everyone else is Chinese,’” Jacques told the court during the inquest.

“I think terrible injustice was done to Hari in the hospital. Hari suffered from really dreadful treatment at the hospital and a relatively normal medical situation turned into a death, which is outrageous. Despite what was pretty obvious, the Hospital Authority resisted it for so long and refused to face up to what had happened,” he said.

The authority, however, maintained there was no negligence in the medical management of Veriah at Ruttonjee.

The compensation was approved by the High Court Wednesday, with the hospital authority saying the settlement was entered into in the interest of all parties.

“Ruttonjee Hospital has repeatedly and categorically denied that Ms Veriah was discriminated against. However, we believe that the settlement entered into is in the interest of all the parties,” a spokesman said.

Jacques said he has received a bit of justice but insisted there is nothing to celebrate.

“I’m relieved and pleased that the other side has thrown in the towel, but it’s not going to bring Hari back,” he was quoted as saying.