FIREFIGHTER Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim suffered fractures on the right and left sides of his ribcage, according to a post-mortem scan.

Adib, who sustained injuries in riots at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman temple last November, was first taken to Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC) before being transferred to the National Heart Institute (IJN).

CT scans and X-rays at the time showed fractures on the right posterior and anterior ribcage.

A scan carried out after his death showed there were also fractures on the left posterior ribcage.

IJN intensive care unit director Dr Suneta Sulaiman, who took the stand at the inquest into Adib’s death today, said it is possible that the initial CT scans could not pick up the fractures on the left side of the fireman’s ribcage.

“The fractures on the left side are not visible. Whether they were there (during the initial CT scans), it’s hard to say,” she told the coroners’ court.

For there to be multiple rib fractures like in Adib’s case, there needs to be significant impact to the area, she said.

“While the patient was with us (after being transferred) from SJMC, during his whole stay with us, there was no trauma to his ribcage.

“Nothing fell on him. We didn’t do procedures in that area. It’s unlikely that the injuries happened while he was in hospital,” she told coroner Rofiah Mohamad Mansor.

When questioned by deputy public prosecutor Zhafran Rahim Hamzah, Dr Suneta said the displacement of Adib’s bones could have occurred.

“It’s possible that due to movements, the fractures could be displaced… When the bones are no longer aligned, the fractures are clear, visible to see.”

She said when the firefighter was recovering in the ICU from December 4 to 11, he underwent physiotherapy, making it possible that movements during the sessions led the fractures on the left side of his ribcage to show.

Last week, Dr Nantha Kumeran, 39, who was on call at the SJMC emergency room when Adib was hospitalised, said the firefighter was found to have fractures on the second, third, fourth and fifth ribs on the right side, as well as a punctured lung.

Also last week, Dr S. Anand, 46, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the same hospital, was showed the CT scans when he took the stand.

“There was a period of three weeks between the SJMC scan and the post-mortem scan. It’s possible that with the movement of the body, hairline fractures on the other ribs could have been dislodged.”

The inquest was ordered as there were no conclusive findings in the probe into how Adib was injured during the riots at the Subang Jaya house of worship on November 27.

Police said investigations showed that there could be two possibilities as to what had caused the 24-year-old’s death: either he was beaten by a mob or was run over by a fire truck.

Adib was hospitalised for three weeks, and despite regaining consciousness and showing signs of recovery, he died on December 17 due to lung failure. – February 26, 2019.