A SURGEON and an anaesthesiologist have been found guilty of criminal negligence and committing a medical error that led to the death of a Bahraini man after undergoing weight-loss surgery.
The Lower Criminal Court yesterday gave the Saudi and Arab doctors a three-year suspended sentence, and ordered to pay a BD500 bond.
In June last year, Hussain Abdulhadi died of blood poisoning, eight days after a bariatric procedure known as sleeve gastrectomy at a private healthcare facility.
According to official reports and witness statements, the 29-year-old Bahraini man began experiencing abdominal pain soon after the surgery, and his deteriorating condition was reportedly ignored by physicians at the private clinic.
An inquest conducted by the National Health Regulatory Authority established a direct connection between the doctors’ error and the man’s death.
The report stated that the Saudi surgeon sewed the patient’s sutures by hand after a surgical stapling device stopped working, and that he later ignored ‘clear evidence’ of a gastric leak.
It also added that the Arab anaesthesiologist removed the ventilator from the ailing patient in the ICU even though he was unable to breathe on his own.
At an earlier hearing, a Public Prosecution representative called on the judge to penalise the defendants to the fullest extent of the law.
The prosecutor highlighted the testimony of a veteran doctor, who claimed that the pair wasn’t quick enough in performing tests and monitoring the victim’s condition.
He also stated that the Saudi surgeon decided to discharge the patient before making sure everything was in order, and later failed to detect a gastric leak when the patient complained of abdominal pain.
The victim’s death certificate, which was signed by the Saudi, listed septicaemia and cardiac arrest as the cause of death as a result of a gastric leak following the sleeve gastrectomy operation.
The surgeon, who owns the private facility that is well-known for its cosmetic procedures, also has several clinics in a neighbouring country.
The clinic markets itself by promising that obese individuals can regain their confidence after undergoing one of their weight-loss operations.
During the trial, both defendants’ lawyers had blamed the other for the error, even though the report implicated both of them.
Aside from finding the medics guilty of all charges, the Lower Criminal Court also directed the case to Civil Court, after the lawyer of the victim’s family requested the judge for permission to sue the defendants.
The ruling to jail the defendants for three years has been suspended, and will be executed if the High Criminal Appeals Court upholds yesterday’s verdict.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))