Thomas and Manju Sam also continued treating their ailing daughter with homeopathic medicines even though her condition worsened, an Australian court heard yesterday
Thomas and Manju Sam also continued treating their ailing daughter with homeopathic medicines even though her condition worsened, an Australian court heard yesterday 
Thomas Sam, an Indian born homeopath and his wife Manju are on trial in the New South Wales Supreme Court charged with manslaughter by gross criminal negligence for the death of their nine-month old baby daughter Gloria Thomas, who died of septicemia in May 2002.
The infant had such severe eczema that she was constantly crying, unable to move her legs, her skin peeling off and allowing infections to enter her bloodstream every time they changed her clothes and nappy.
The 42-year-old father and his 36-year-old mother allegedly resisted advice from nurses and a doctor to send their daughter to a skin specialist and, instead, continued treating her with homeopathic remedies.
Hospital for mom
However, the prosecution alleged in court yesterday that despite allegedly shunning conventional medical attention for their daughter, the mother was rushed to a mainstream hospital when she became ill with gallstones.
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The court was told that the infant would have lived if she had been treated by conventional doctors even days until the moment her parents brought her to hospital.
Gloria Thomas was born a healthy 3.09 kg child, with average height and head circumference to the well-educated parents.
She was in good health until she was four months old, but lost 20 per cent of her body weight in the last five months of her life after a nurse first identified her eczema and advised her parents to send her to a skin specialist.
The NSW Supreme Court was told that after the baby was diagnosed with eczema at four months, Gloria's parents allegedly ignored repeated pleas by nurses and doctors to treat her skin condition with conventional medicine, but instead opted for homeopathic medicines in which her father specialised.
Ignored doctor
The prosecution also told the court that even though the infant was suffering and clearly in pain, Manju Sam took her to India against the advice of a paediatrician who described the journey as "cruel".
At home, she continued to disregard the prescription of creams and, instead, continued to apply homeopathic drops that did not work.
The homeopath husband joined his wife and baby two months later when his brother was getting married and, allegedly, "embarked on a manic social schedule during which time Gloria's condition became progressively worse".
The prosecution's case is that the parents "put their social obligations well ahead of any concern for Gloria's well-being... Gloria's health and welfare was the last thought on the minds of her parents other than to continue using homeopathic drops to treat her condition."
According to prosecutor Mark Tedeschi, the day after the wedding, Manju Anna Sam was diagnosed with gallstones. But instead of treating her with homeopathic medicines, as they had done for their daughter, the
mother immediately went to a conventional hospital for treatment.
The parents (they both have university degrees and post graduate qualifications) arrived back in Australia
eight days before their daughter died.
Resisted family
Even four days after they arrived in Australia, the parents were said to have been "grossly negligent" in failing to get prompt and proper care for the infant. Thomas Sam's sister allegedly offered to take the baby to hospital but he allegedly declined, saying: "I'm not able to do that."
Later that night, when the couple finally decided to take the baby to hospital, they reportedly said they were "too tired" and the father reportedly attended to an "obligation at church" before going in at midday on May 5, 2002.
Gloria was rushed into emergency, but died three days later, weighing only 5.4 kg, suffering from a debilitating dermatological condition, sever malnourishment, delayed development, conjunctivitis and an abnormal left cornea.
The parents have pleaded not guilty. The trial continues.
(With inputs from agencies)
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