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THE Kota Kinabalu Coroner's Court was informed today that the injuries sustained by the late Zara Qairina Mahathir were the result of high-impact trauma involving strong kinetic energy.
Dr Janefer Voo, a Medical Officer at the Emergency and Trauma Department of Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE), testified that based on her initial assessment upon receiving the patient, the injuries indicated exposure to a significant kinetic force.
The term “kinetic” was clarified by Dr Janefer when questioned by Inquest Conducting Officer Datuk Badiuszaman Ahmad regarding the phrase “due to high impact” used in her written statement.
Badiuszaman asked, “Please refer to paragraph six, where it states 'due to high impact'. Could you explain this, Doctor?”
Dr Janefer replied, “It means the injury mechanism involved a strong or fast-moving force, or a heavy blow.”
When pressed further by Badiuszaman to elaborate on “kinetic energy”, she explained, “In trauma cases, we always assess the mechanism of injury. Suspected high-impact cases include collisions that result in fatalities at the scene or victims being flung a great distance. Another example would be a fall from a considerable height.”
Regarding the unconscious state of the patient upon arrival, Dr Janefer said, “This was based on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), which assesses eye opening, verbal, and motor responses. For this patient, the GCS was three, the lowest possible score—meaning no spontaneous eye opening, no verbal response, and no motor movement.”
Dr Janefer also outlined the resuscitation procedures undertaken at the time.
“This refers to trauma life support, which includes airway management—an endotracheal tube was inserted due to the GCS score of three. A cervical collar was also applied to protect the neck. Ventilatory support was provided using a machine, and for circulation, the patient received fluids and blood products due to worsening vital signs—falling blood pressure and a racing pulse.”
“For disability assessment, the GCS was still at three, with dilated pupils, prompting respiratory support. Exposure involved early treatment of external injuries, including a swollen and lacerated wound at the back of the head, which was stitched and bandaged to control bleeding. A splint was applied to the patient’s left arm and both legs due to suspected fractures,” she added.
Earlier, Dr Janefer was shown a photograph to identify whether the patient she treated was Zara Qairina.
Badiuszaman asked, “Please refer to paragraph two. The patient is named as Zara Qairina Mahathir. If shown a photo, could you recognise her?”
Dr Janefer replied, “Yes.”
However, upon viewing the image, she stated, “It is not clear,” due to the condition of the photograph.
When asked if anyone informed her that the patient had been found at the ground floor of a hostel, she said, “Yes, the ambulance team who brought her to the Emergency Department.”
She added, “To my knowledge, the ambulance team comprised Assistant Medical Officers.”
Badiuszaman further inquired, “Was anything else conveyed by the team?”
Dr Janefer responded, “When the team received the patient, her condition was unknown.”
The court also heard that the trauma team did not contact the police at the time Zara Qairina was brought in, as the priority was to save her life.
“Given the patient’s very critical condition, we did not notify the police,” Dr Janefer said during cross-examination by the family’s lawyer, Rizwandean M Borhan, on the fourth day of the inquest.
“Moreover, medical staff were unable to determine the mechanism of injury. Our priority was to stabilise the patient.”
Dr Janefer further noted that no police officers or family members were present when Zara Qairina arrived at the hospital.
When asked by defence counsel Datuk Ram Singh whether she was aware that the patient’s clothing should have been handed over to the police for forensic examination, she replied, “At that moment, it did not cross my mind.”
“I was focused on performing resuscitation. When clothing is removed, it is placed in a bag by our staff. I didn’t consider handing it over to police or forensics—my priority was to stabilise the patient,” she said.
She could not recall the patient’s attire but noted that the schoolgirl’s headscarf was missing, as her head had already been bandaged.
Dr Janefer, who has five years of experience in emergency and trauma medicine, also stated that she did not refer Zara Qairina to the One Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC), again citing the urgency to save the patient’s life.
She had earlier informed Nurul Rafeeqa Afdul Mutolip that the OSCC is a referral centre for cases involving child abuse, bullying, rape, and similar matters. - September 9, 2025
