Kinarut health clinic assistant medical officer Faiszal Saimi, 40, the first responder at the scene, confirmed that no anticonvulsant – medication used to prevent or control seizures – was given to the teen, Bernama reported.
Faiszal, the 69th witness, said phenytoin is a Group B drug that can only be administered with a doctor’s approval and is typically used for seizures that cannot be controlled with first-line treatment such as diazepam.
“Phenytoin is usually a last-resort option when seizures cannot be controlled,” he said, adding that the medication is available in tablet, capsule, and injection form but requires a prescription.
Previously, the court heard that post-mortem laboratory tests detected the presence of phenytoin in Zara’s kidney tissue.
Faiszal said he received an emergency call at 3.23am regarding a student who had fallen at the dormitory of SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha in Kinarut. He arrived at the scene at about 3.45am and found the victim unconscious on the cement floor near the dormitory building.
Initial emergency treatment included the application of a cervical collar, oxygen support, and other stabilisation measures before she was transported to Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Further examination showed that the victim did not respond to light, sound, or painful stimuli, including the trapezius squeeze test.
He said Zara had a Glasgow coma scale (GCS) reading of 3/15, a level typically associated with severe traumatic brain injury.
Despite the low GCS score, he said her vital signs remained stable during transport to the hospital.
“While in the ambulance, I continuously monitored her condition. Her blood pressure was 108/83 mmHg, pulse rate 82 per minute, respiratory rate 20 per minute and oxygen saturation 98% … all within normal range,” he said when reading his witness statement.
Zara, 13, died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, 2025, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory.
The inquest before coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan will continue on April 16.