The registered nurse who monitored Amber Athwal during and after her dental surgery said the little girl stopped breathing while she was in recovery.
“I saw that she was looking pale,” Tasneem Ali said.
“I was lifting her shirt to see if she was breathing. I realized her chest was not rising so I immediately called for help.”
READ MORE: Edmonton dentist admits to several charges connected to Amber Athwal case
“I said: ‘She’s not breathing. Go get Dr. Mather.'”
Ali said she grabbed an oxygen mask from a drawer and said when Dr. William Mather arrived in the operating room, he took over.
“He asked for help, to call 911.”
A dentist next door in the office tower was also called to help, the hearing was told. Once that dentist arrived, he told the staff to move Amber to the floor. The tribunal heard a defibrillator was brought in and the panels put on Amber’s chest but Ali couldn’t recall if a shock was delivered.
Ali was speaking Tuesday at an Alberta Dental Association and College disciplinary hearing.
Mather is facing five charges of unprofessional conduct under the Health Professions Act involving eight patients, including Amber. He retired two weeks ago.
Mather pleaded guilty to three of those charges, however the dental college will not release the transcript detailing those charges until after the hearing is complete. Mather admitted to over billing patients and keeping poor records, but the main focus of the two-week hearing is what happened to his patient Amber Athwal.
Ali told the hearing panel she was no longer registered as a nurse as of last Monday and was being investigated by the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA).
CARNA does not confirm investigations but told Global News Ali does not have a current practice permit.
She is also named in the $26.5-million lawsuit filed against Mather and his staff by Amber Athwal’s parents.
READ MORE: Family of brain-damaged Edmonton girl suing dentist for $26.5M
Ali worked for Mather for eight and a half years and was questioned about practice and protocols in the dental office for patients given a general anaesthetic.
She testified she was not involved in pre-anaesthetic assessments, which would include a physical exam.
Ali was asked by the Alberta Dental Association and College complaints director if medical interviews were done prior to general anaesthetic.
“I’m not aware, but I think it’s done,” Ali said.
When questioned about informed consent with parents and fasting instructions, again Ali said she wasn’t involved.
Her duties, she told the panel, were to maintain a child’s airway and keep an eye on heart rate and oxygen monitors.
“If there’s any concern, I let Dr. Mather know.”
Ali had no additional training for administering gasses and anesthesia, monitoring vital signs or charting during her employment with Mather. She told the panel her experience came from previous employment.
Mather’s lawyer said the dentist left Amber in stable condition once the dental surgery was complete.
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Athwal was four when she went to a consultation on Sept. 7, 2016. A cancellation at the office that day opened up a surgery appointment.
Raman Athwal, Amber’s father, told the panel that he told Mather his daughter had eaten breakfast earlier that morning.
Athwal described the chaos in the office when his daughter stopped breathing. He said he was seated in the waiting room for more than an hour while Amber was in surgery and recovery. It wasn’t until he was directed to the staff lunchroom and offered water that he knew something was wrong.
Raman told the hearing a staff member told him they may take Amber to the hospital and she was fine now.
READ MORE: Alberta dentists no longer allowed single operator sedation
Athwal rode in the elevator with Amber and paramedics and said he could see his daughter’s lungs weren’t moving. At the hospital, emergency room staff cut off her clothes.
“She won’t be able to do anything in our life,” Athwal said he was told.
The hearing is scheduled for two weeks.
A disciplinary hearing is not a court of law. However, if the panel finds Mather guilty of unprofessional conduct, he could face sanctions.
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