Hong Kong beauty customer who died of blood poisoning was ‘most catastrophic’ case doctor ever saw, court hears

Senior medical officer at local hospital describes his treatment of woman following her blood therapy carried out by clinic

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Dr Chan Yau-Ng of Ruttonjee Hospital gave testimony at the High Court in Admiralty on Tuesday. Photo: Edmond So

Published: 6:14pm, 28 Jun 2017Updated: 9:33pm, 28 Jun 2017

A doctor who treated a Hong Kong woman who died of blood poisoning following an “unnecessary” cancer treatment at a beauty centre called her death the most “prominent” and “catastrophic” case he had ever seen, he told a manslaughter trial on Wednesday.

Senior medical officer Dr Raymond Liu Wai-to said the type of bacteria found in Chan Yuen-lam’s blood was one of the most lethal he had ever seen and that a globally renowned microbiologist known for his role in fighting the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome, or Sars, echoed that assessment.

“This is the most prominent case I have seen,” said Liu, affiliated with Ruttonjee Hospital’s intensive care unit. “It was the most catastrophic form I had seen in my life.”

He had never encountered mycobacterium abscessus in blood. Nor, he added, had Dr Yuen Kwok-yung, who was called to the hospital to give advice at the time.

Chan, 46, died of septicaemia on October 10, 2012, a week after she received induced killer cells (CIK) treatment from beauty chain DR Group’s clinic in Causeway Bay.