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S'pore woman whose mother had leg amputated sues NUH & AMK-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital, loses, ordered to pay S$975,403
Parvaty Raju died in 2023 from coronary artery disease and renal failure.
Seri Mazliana
January 15, 2026, 08:30 AM
A mother and her daughter in Singapore sued National University Hospital (NUH) and Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan (AMK-Thye Hua Kwan) Hospital after the older woman's health condition declined following surgeries.
However, Parvaty Raju and her daughter, Meenachi Suppiah, lost the case after the High Court dismissed the lawsuit on Jan. 12.
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According to a court judgment, they were instead ordered to pay S$975,403 in legal expenses after Justice Mavis Chionh found that hospital employees did not breach their responsibilities while caring for Parvaty.
What happened
Parvaty, who was diagnosed with multiple underlying medical conditions such as diabetes and renal failure, had gotten treatment for pain in her right knee at NUH between September 2020 and January 2021.
She underwent surgeries to treat pseudogout in the same knee, went through other assessments and treatments, and her heel had also sustained tissue damage.
In January 2021, Parvaty was transferred to AMK–Thye Hua Kwan Hospital for observation.
However, her condition deteriorated and she was diagnosed with wet gangrene after her heel produced an odour and started decaying.
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She was later readmitted to NUH on Feb. 5, 2021.
Due to the condition of her leg, doctors advised her to consider leg amputation.
Parvaty had reportedly told her family she would "rather die than have a major amputation".
She eventually agreed to have her leg amputated on Feb. 19 and was discharged around one month later with the surgical site healing well.
While Parvaty lived for two years following the surgery, she passed away in 2023 from coronary artery disease and renal failure.
Daughter pursues lawsuit against hospitals, alleged negligence
Meenachi resumed the legal proceedings on Parvaty's behalf.
The lawsuit alleged that NUH had failed to provide adequate care, causing tissue damage to Parvaty's right heel and her health to worsen.
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The allegations also indicated that NUH staff did not conduct further tests or implement protective measures to prevent foot ulcers despite her diabetic condition.
The suit also alleged that negligence by staff at both hospitals allowed the wet gangrene to spread, leading to the amputation.
It was further claimed that NUH staff failed to remove necrotic tissue before transferring Parvaty to AMK–Thye Hua Kwan Hospital, despite being aware of its presence.
Negligence claims dismissed
In her judgment, Chionh found no evidence of professional negligence.
The court noted that NUH staff were aware of Parvaty's medical history and had taken proactive steps, such as providing pressure-relieving mattresses.
The judge highlighted that at the time of her transfer to AMK-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital, the gangrene was "dry" and showed no signs of infection.
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After reviewing expert testimony, Chionh found that NUH had appropriately weighed the risks and benefits before proposing amputation.
The decision to recommend amputation following the deterioration of her heel condition was deemed "reasonable" and "appropriate".
Chionh also found insufficient evidence to show that staff at AMK–Thye Hua Kwan Hospital caused the ulceration of Parvaty's right heel.
She concluded that neither hospital had breached its professional duties or acted negligently, and therefore "bore no liability for compensation".
The plaintiffs were ordered to pay the legal costs of both hospitals, amounting to S$975,403, including interest.
Hospitals respond
In response to Mothership's queries, an NUH spokesperson said that the hospital "respects" the judicial process and "acknowledges" the Court's decision.
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The spokesperson added that NUH will "continue our work on delivering high-quality care centred on patient safety and outcomes."
A spokesperson from AMK-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital told Mothership that the hospital does not have further comments beyond the High Court's judgment that its care team "had not acted negligently nor violated professional conduct".
"The High Court also ruled that there is no substantial evidence to suggest our care team caused the deterioration of Parvaty's right foot," they noted.
Top photos via Canva
