SGH neurosurgery head did not report patient’s death to coroner; cops alerted a year later

Published Oct 14, 2026, 05:07 PM

Updated Oct 14, 2026, 05:07 PM

Dr Jai Prashanth Rao, SGH neurosurgery head and NNI senior consultant, did not report Tan Suan Lin’s death to the coroner in 2024.

He said he wrongly thought only deaths within 24 hours of surgery had to be reported, and acted out of compassion because the family did not want an autopsy.

The case was only sent to the coroner in February 2025, and police were alerted in March; no autopsy was done.

SINGAPORE - The head of Singapore General Hospital’s (SGH) neurosurgery department did not report a patient’s death to the coroner in 2024.

Clinical Assistant Professor Jai Prashanth Rao, who is also a senior consultant neurosurgeon at the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI), acknowledged this on Oct 14.

It was the first day of a coroner’s inquiry into the death of his patient , Tan Suan Lin, 75.

CNA reported she had a large brain tumour, and that he had operated on her.

Dr Rao testified he had initially told her family members he had to report the case to the coroner, a s required by law.

However, the court heard they did not want the woman’s body to undergo an autopsy and sustain further cuts.

Dr Rao said out of compassion, he decided to give the family closure and issued a death certificate instead.

He said: “Probably my heart overruled my brain.”

CNA reported that Dr Rao said he had been under the mistaken impression that only deaths occurring within 24 hours of a surgery required mandatory reporting to the coroner.

He assumed he had discretion over whether to report the death.

CNA reported that the death certificate stated the cause of death as malignant neoplasm – brain, unspecified, which Dr Rao said was intended to indicate that Tan had died from a brain tumour.

However, a forensic pathologist from the Health Sciences Authority indicated that a possible cause of death was instead bleeding complications during surgical intervention for the tumour.

The NNI informed the coroner about the case in February 2025, and the police were alerted the following month.

No autopsy was performed due to the delay.

On Oct 14, investigation officer Benedict Lim testified that Tan had a brain tumour.

Dr Rao attended to her, and she agreed to undergo brain surgery on Jan 3, 2024.

However, the medical team later faced difficulties stopping the bleeding. Tan lost about three litres of blood.

Dr Rao stopped the operation, and told Tan’s family about her poor prognosis.

She died six days later.

CNA reported that an independent expert witness, who was called by the state, told the court it was obvious to him the case should have been reported to the coroner, but said he empathised with Dr Rao.

The expert said: “Yes, the death should have been reported because that is in our training and experience from the time we started this speciality, that has been one of the things that is highlighted.

“However, the academic knowledge of it sometimes can be marred by emotions.”

State Coroner Adam Nakhoda will be giving his findings at a later date.

The Straits Times has contacted the NNI for comment.

Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times’ court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts.

发布于 2026 年 10 月 14 日下午 5:07

更新于2026年10月14日下午5:07

新加坡中央医院神经外科主任兼国家神经外科研究所高级顾问贾伊·普拉桑特·拉奥医生没有在 2024 年向验尸官报告陈宣林的死亡。

他说他错误地认为只有术后 24 小时内的死亡才需要上报，并且出于同情心，因为家属不希望进行尸检。

该案直到 2025 年 2 月才移交验尸官，警方在 3 月才接到通知；没有进行尸检。

新加坡——新加坡中央医院（SGH）神经外科主任在2024年没有向验尸官报告一名患者的死亡。

国家神经科学研究所 (NNI) 的临床助理教授兼高级顾问神经外科医生 Jai Prashanth Rao 于 10 月 14 日承认了这一点。

这是验尸官对他的病人谭宣林（75岁）的死亡进行调查的第一天。

CNA报道称，她患有巨大的脑瘤，并且他已经为她​​做了手术。

拉奥医生作证说，他最初告诉她的家人，他必须按照法律规定向验尸官报告此案。

然而，法庭获悉，他们不希望对该女子的遗体进行尸检，以免遭受进一步的切割。

拉奥医生表示，出于同情，他决定给家属一个交代，于是签发了死亡证明。

他说：“可能是我的心战胜了理智。”

CNA报道称，拉奥医生表示，他之前误以为只有手术后24小时内发生的死亡才需要强制向验尸官报告。

他认为自己有权决定是否上报这起死亡事件。

CNA报道称，死亡证明上写明死因是恶性肿瘤——脑部，未具体说明，Rao医生表示，这意在表明Tan死于脑瘤。

然而，卫生科学局的一名法医病理学家指出，可能的死因是肿瘤手术过程中出血并发症。

2025 年 2 月，NNI 将此案告知验尸官，次月警方接到报案。

由于延误，未能进行尸检。

10月14日，调查官本尼迪克特·林作证称，谭患有脑瘤。

Rao 医生为她诊治，她同意于 2024 年 1 月 3 日接受脑部手术。

然而，医疗团队随后在止血方面遇到了困难。谭女士失血约三升。

饶医生停止了手术，并告诉谭的家人她预后不良。

六天后她去世了。

CNA报道称，州政府传唤的一名独立专家证人告诉法庭，在他看来，这起案件显然应该报告给验尸官，但他表示理解拉奥医生的感受。

专家表示：“是的，这起死亡事件应该上报，因为从我们开始从事这个专业以来，我们的培训和经验就一直强调这一点。”

“然而，对它的学术认知有时会受到情感的影响。”

州验尸官亚当·纳霍达将在稍后公布调查结果。

《海峡时报》已联系NNI征求意见。

沙菲克·阿尔哈提卜是《海峡时报》的法庭记者，主要报道国家法院审理的刑事案件。