Valium was prescribed on 'order by superior'

A junior doctor gave a potentially fatal dose of Valium to an asthmatic immigrant on direct orders from her superior, despite fearing the consequences, a court heard yesterday.

The young doctor flagged the fact that asthmatics should not be administered Valium, after receiving instructions to give a 5mg dose to sedate an Eritrean who became aggressive due to pain. She said at least she should give him a half dose but her superior insisted: "Do as I say because I know what I am doing".

The exchange was revealed by the testimony given by Mario Scerri and Prof. Joseph Cacciatolo who were appointed by the court to gather evidence in the case.

The female doctors, aged 28 and 31 and whose names cannot be published by court order, were working at St Luke's Hospital on the night of February 6, 2005 when Eritrean national Sagid Iisraquay Tegualde died a few hours after being administered the tranquilliser.

Dr Scerri said the patient had been doing fine during the afternoon but at one point took a turn for the worse. However, it remains unclear when the Valium was administered.

However, a police officer stationed with him said that between 9 p.m. and midnight the man became increasingly agitated as he tried to cope with increasing pain to the chest. The policeman managed to calm him down but the man eventually lost consciousness. The officer called in help and five medics rushed in and tried to resuscitate the patient but he eventually died.

Dr Scerri and Prof. Cacciatolo pointed out that no tests were carried out to ascertain the change in character during the long lapse of time before the Eritrean's death.

Police Inspector Joseph Agius prosecuted.

Lawyers Michael Schiriha and Anna Mallia appeared for the doctors.