MP calls for independent review of Revnesh's autopsy report

 

PARLIAMENT | Klang MP Charles Santiago has urged the Health Ministry to consider submitting an autopsy report on the death of teenager Revnesh Kumar for evaluation by an independent panel.

Charles said this was as some parents remain unconvinced over the autopsy results which stated that Revnesh's death earlier this month was unrelated to the Covid-19 vaccine he received 18 days prior.

"The government stated in its post-mortem report that the vaccine did not cause the death of this young boy.

"However, because many don't trust this deduction, therefore I ask the government that an independent panel be formed to evaluate the post-mortem report given to Revnesh’s mother because there are other kids who died after getting the vaccine,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.

"I raised this issue because the minister said that we must reduce morbidity as a process towards endemicity.

"So because of that, if we want to reduce fear among the parents, then (findings of) this independent panel will be helpful," Charles added.

The DAP lawmaker said this while interjecting Deputy Health Minister Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali's winding up of the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Deputy Health Minister Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali

Govt will look into all AEFI reports

In response, Noor Azmi indicated that the government has no further plans to form an independent panel as Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had met with Revnesh's parents on the contents of the autopsy report over the teenager's cause of death.

He, however, reassured that the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency will look into all reports of adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) to determine whether the death was caused by vaccination or other factors after the vaccine.

On March 9, news portal Free Malaysia Today quoted Revnesh’s mother, G Vijayarani, who said the autopsy report classified her son's death as sudden death.

Khairy at the time said a panel of forensic experts led by his ministry’s forensics services chief Dr Zahari Noor, alongside Forensic Department heads from various public hospitals, reviewed the findings of the report during a day-long peer-review session. - Mkini