It wasn’t my fault a baby died and another was left brain-damaged

THE tradie who installed the gas that killed one baby and left another brain damaged at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital has denied he is to blame.

The gas-related tragedies occured at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital in June last year.

HE’S been accused of mixing up the gas pipes that killed one baby and left another brain damaged at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital but the tradesman at the centre of this tragedy has denied he is to blame.

Former BOC gas fitting contractor Christopher Laurie Turner was investigated last year after two newborns were accidentally given laughing gas (nitrous oxide) instead of oxygen.

Amelia Khan suffered permanent brain damage on June 20, 2016, and John Ghanem died shortly after his birth on July 13.

Amelia’s parents Danial Khan and Benish Iqbal are seeking compensation from the hospital in a case before the NSW Supreme Court.

Amelia Khan, aged 15 months, with father Danial Khan. Amelia has permanent brain damage after receiving nitrous oxide after birth.

In its defence, the hospital has put much of the blame at the feet of BOC Limited and the company’s 56-year-old former contractor.

But court documents reveal Mr Turner has denied responsibility for the tragedy and details his actions at the hospital.

“(Mr Turner) says that he undertook work on only one gas at a time to minimise the risk of cross-connection,” court documents filed in the NSW Supreme Court said.

“(Mr Turner) denies that he failed to verify the gas on which he was working.

“(Mr Turner) does not admit he installed nitrous oxide rather than oxygen to the oxygen outlet during the course of the work.”

Mr Turner, who is the sole director of business Pro-Med Services, has also denied telling a hospital employee on completion of his work that it was “all OK”.

In court papers the hospital said Mr Turner completed documents that said the gas outlets in operating theatre 8 were checked and safe to use.

Former BOC gas-fitting contractor Christopher Laurie Turner has denied responsibility for the mix-up. Picture: Facebook

“(Mr Turner) says this documentation was completed as a record of his pre-commissioning testing and that final testing for the works was to be conducted on 16 June, 2015 at or about 7am with the hospital engineer and a suitably qualified nurse,” Mr Turner said in his defence, filed with the court.

Amelia spent 61 of the first 66 minutes of her life receiving nitrous oxide — an adult pain reliever that is deadly to babies.

Amelia’s parents, from Bass Hill, have given The Sunday Telegraph permission to publish a photograph of Amelia taken earlier this year.

Asked how his family is, Mr Khan said in a Facebook post: “Allhumduliah (Praise be to Allah) all are doing well bro!”

In a statement through their lawyer Libby Brookes, Mr Khan and Ms Iqbal said: “The NSW Department of Health … have been acting cooperatively with us to ensure that Amelia is getting the best care and treatment.”

IN OTHER NEWS:

After receiving an interim payment earlier this year, the family of John Ghanem are expecting a resolution to their compensation claim later this month.

Lawyer Stephen Mainstone said: “We are having a meeting with government solicitors December 22 and are hoping that the matter will be resolved at that meeting.

“If the compensation matter is finalised, it is the something that the family will no longer have to be concerned about.

“They are fairly shy people. They are trying to deal with it as best they can. There is a lot of sadness and sad memories.”

There is no date set for John Ghanem’s coronial inquest.

Mr Turner declined to comment.