The nurse was also questioned on other aspects of the operation, such as how she arrived at the figure in the case notes of 1,000ml of liquid removed from Mr Heng's body, and how this did not match the 1,200ml she said in her court statement.

She was also asked whether Dr Myint left the room at any time during the operation and she replied that she was not sure.

Ms Hong was two months into her job at Reves Clinic when Mr Heng went for a lipsuction and fat transfer procedure.

The operation lasted more than three hours and by the time a pulseless Mr Heng was taken to hospital, he was pronounced dead at about 6pm.

An autospy revealed that the cause of death was due to multiple punctures of the intestines due to liposuction.

Ms Hong, who is an enrolled nurse and has a National Institute of Technical Education Certificate (Nitec) in nursing from the Institute of Technical Education, was the first person who was present during the procedure to take the stand.

Unlike registered nurses, who have a diploma or a degree, enrolled nurses are not allowed to administer certain drugs.

klim@sph.com.sg