A major inquest has been launched following the shocking death of a young mother after she went under the knife for ‘minor’ surgery in Melbourne.
Harjit Kaur, 30, unexpectedly became pregnant after landing a new IT job at Nike and made the difficult decision with her husband to schedule an abortion for January 12.
Mrs. Kaur died tragically while her surgeon, Dr. Rudolph ‘Rudy’ Lopes, operated.
Dr. Lopes on Friday had his registration suspended by the Medical Board of Australia, pending an investigation, using regulatory powers typically reserved for extreme cases.
Daily Mail Australia does not suggest any wrongdoing by Dr. Lopes. Nor does Daily Mail Australia suggest any wrongdoing by the anesthesiologist.
After their initial examination by Dr. Lopes set up the watchdog a specialist team to investigate the wider industry, citing “serious concerns” for the health and safety of patients.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is working with the State Department of Health to conduct a survey of multiple practitioners across a range of professions and practice locations.
Harjit Kaur, 30, (pictured with her two young children, two and four) tragically died after having a ‘routine’ surgical abortion at a women’s health clinic in Melbourne
Martin Fletcher, chief executive of AHPRA, said further action must be taken to save lives.
“While the Coroner continues to investigate the tragic death of a patient, our inquiries focus on a wider range of issues raised by our investigations,” Mr Fletcher told The Age.
“We are deeply concerned by the emerging picture that national boards are poised to take further regulatory action necessary to keep patients safe.”
The watchdog declined to comment on the specific nature of Dr. Lopes’ suspension while its investigation was ongoing.
“Patient safety is our number one concern,” it said in a statement Friday.
“Our investigation will continue alongside the coronial inquest into a patient’s death, respecting the integrity of the critical work of the coroner.
‘We prioritize the integrity of our ongoing work and cannot provide further details at this time. We will update the register of practitioners if and when changes occur.’
Ms Kaur died moments after her operation at the Hampton Park Women’s Health Clinic in Melbourne’s south-east when her heart unexpectedly stopped beating.
Mrs Kaur was preparing to buy a family home with her husband, Sukhjinder Singh, where they could raise their four-year-old daughter and two-year-old son.
Dr. Rudolph ‘Rudy’ Lopes (pictured), who operated on Ms Kaur, had his registration suspended by the Medical Board of Australia on Friday
But when she discovered she had accidentally become pregnant, the busy mother felt she was not mentally, physically and financially ready to have a third child, so the couple made the difficult decision to have an abortion.
After consulting with a doctor, they scheduled the surgery, which is considered a minor procedure.
Ms. Kaur texted her husband as she entered the operating room, assuring him that she would call after her procedure—instead, it was Ms. Kaur’s surgeon, Dr. Lopes, who called Mr. Singh just over an hour later.
“He told me the procedure was successful, but while they were moving her into the general ward, her heart stopped beating and there was an ambulance giving her CPR,” said Mr. Singh.
‘I tried to enter the general ward but they stopped me and asked me to stay outside. Five minutes later the doctor came to me and said: ‘Sorry, your wife is dead’.
‘I was dead then. My life was destroyed in a second.’
The family’s spokesman, Suresh Rajan, said that ‘an investigation into the practices of this clinic and of this particular doctor’ is what they have been waiting for.
Singh described to Daily Mail Australia the harrowing moment he was finally allowed in to see his wife one last time.
“I asked her to come back for (the sake of) our young children,” he said.
Her devastated husband Sukhjinder Singh struggles to understand what his future will look like without his wife
Dr. Lopes stepped down voluntarily pending a surgical cause of death.
The Age revealed Mr Lopes faced another suspension in 2021 after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found he had committed sexual misconduct against his patients over a six-year period.
The court chose not to cancel his registration at that time, as he had already been suspended for more than three years.
The three-member panel said Dr. Lopes had to work in a supervised environment under specific conditions.
“We conclude here that Dr Lopes is now a fit person to practise, subject to appropriate conditions, therefore we will not order that his registration be cancelled,” they found at the time.
Dr. Lopes’ current suspension does not apply to general practice.
Hampton Park Women’s Health Clinic was barred from day surgery and specialty services on February 29 as the investigation to determine the cause of Ms Kaur’s death continues.
Kaur attended the Hampton Park Women’s Clinic (pictured) for the procedure on January 12
Singh said he and Ms Kaur married in 2018 and settled in Australia to ‘give our children a good life’.
Now, without her, he has no idea what the future will look like for their family.
“She was so young and healthy,” he said.
‘She has just fought all her life for a better life. She was so excited to move into her new home. She had many dreams.
‘How am I now going to take care of two children alone and manage my work?
‘How should I pay off our mortgage? What will I tell my children when they ask for their mother?
‘I am completely devastated.’
ONE GoFundMe has been set up to support Mr Singh with funeral costs and as he takes time off to be with his children, where community members have come together to raise $59,000 so far.