Riyadh: Three doctors and a midwife have been barred from travelling abroad in connection with the new-born baby who was buried alive in the city of Al-Taif.
The Al-Taif Health Directorate conducted an inquiry and decided to refer the case to the Health Legal Authority, holding the medical staff accountable for the gross negligence which caused the death of the boy.
A medical probe committee conducted a thorough investigation into the incident which happened at a private hospital in the city of Al-Taif and concluded that the doctor rushed to declare the baby dead.
The list of suspects who have been barred from leaving the country include a male gynecologist, a female obstetrician, a male pediatrician and a midwife, who was tasked to take care of the 'dead baby' and its twin.
The probe has also revealed that the doctor in charge wrote a death certificate, barely five minutes after the baby’s birth, wrongly indicating “embryo’s death inside mother’s womb”.
The committee found that the medical staff did not verify the death of the newborn baby boy and failed even to mention the correct weight of the boy.
An initial investigation earlier revealed that the baby who was declared dead, five minutes after birth, remained alive for several hours after being pronounced dead.
The pregnant mother gave birth to twins, a girl and a boy on Saturday. Her case was handled by the consultant gynecologist on duty, the department said.
After delivery it appeared to doctors that the twins were born without any signs of life.
A second doctor, a pediatrician, was called in 40 minutes later, who also confirmed that both babies were dead.
The hospital then handed over the twins for burial. While washing the baby boy, they found his heart was beating. The medical team at the hospital tried its best to save the baby but it breathed its last at 7.15 p.m the same day, when its death was officially declared.
The baby boy and his twin sister were buried at Al-Abbas Graveyard in Taif after a funeral prayer at Abdullah Bin Abbas mosque.
The family of the twins has urged authorities to take action against the hospital for its flagrant negligence 'as it did not try to save the life of a baby which lived for five hours after the hospital declared it dead.'
The department has not yet taken any action against the private hospital and the incident has sparked anger in the city with people blaming the doctors for sheer negligence.
Saleh Al-Moonis, a spokesman, said that the Health Director has instructed the investigating committee to visit the private hospital and review its condition.
According to the report, the investigation committee has instructed authorities to prevent the doctors involved from traveling abroad until the investigation is complete.