KUALA LUMPUR – A veteran forensics expert has advised the family of the late Revnesh Kumar to seek a second opinion from abroad regarding the cause of the 13-year-old’s death, following reports that the incident was unrelated to the Covid-19 vaccine he received.
Former Health Ministry Forensics Department chief Datuk Dr Mohd Shah Mahmood said there was “no harm done” in gaining more insight on the teenager’s untimely death as it would provide the family with closure.
“It (seeking a second opinion from abroad) is normal practice in certain situations that are unclear and when there are disputes in post-mortem findings,” he told The Vibes when contacted.
Yesterday, Revnesh’s mother Vijayarani Govindan confirmed the family received the preliminary post-mortem report.
The report, she said, stated that Revnesh died a sudden death, as test results showed that his organs were all healthy and his body was not affected by the vaccine, Free Malaysia Today quoted her as saying.
The development came after Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin confirmed that the autopsy report on the teenager’s death would be submitted to his parents yesterday.
He said in a press conference that this followed a meeting among senior forensic experts from his ministry at Serdang Hospital on Tuesday.
This comes amid criticism by three civil society organisations – Global Human Rights Federation, Malaysia Tamilar Munetra Kalagam, and Persatuan Pengguna Islam – over the apparent lack of responsibility on the ministry’s part.
Dr Shah – currently a senior forensics consultant at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine – said the second opinion could be sought both at home and abroad, but since the case was being helmed by some of Malaysia’s most prominent and senior forensics experts, the probe could be brought to specialists in foreign countries.
He said although he was not privy to the preliminary post-mortem report, the pathologists who had worked on it were his former colleagues whom he knew well.
Dr Shah noted that the Malaysian pathologists received their specialist training in countries such as Australia and Italy, among others.
“They are all well-trained and the case was reviewed by experts in their respective fields, but it is no harm in getting second opinions from overseas. There is nothing to lose,” he said.
Dr Shah said the second opinion from abroad did not only involve the sending of tissue samples to foreign laboratories, but also detailed records, toxicology reports, microscope slides, photographs, and more.
He also said there was no need to exhume Revnesh’s body for a second autopsy as all that was needed had already been collected during the first autopsy.
He said these were usually sent to laboratories in Australia or the United Kingdom for review. This included the likes of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) in Melbourne.
Dr Shah said seeking a second opinion on the death was “justified” and “recommended” as everyone wanted to know for certain whether or not it was related to vaccination.
“Covid-19 is still a new phenomenon and requires input from experts, and the cause of Revnesh’s death is currently not clear-cut.” – The Vibes, March 10, 2022
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