Saudi Gazette report

MADINAH – Health Affairs Directorate here has accused a private hospital of dragging a case involving a little girl who has become disabled following a medical error by a female doctor, Al-Madina daily reported on Sunday.

Mayan became paraplegic following the alleged medical error at the hospital eight years ago.

Mayan›s father Mazen Al-Mahmadi took the girl to the hospital when she was eight months old because she could not walk or move some parts of her body. Her parents were so worried and did not know why she was not able to move her hands and legs.

“I took her to the Maternity and Children›s Hospital for a medical examination. The doctors discovered that Mayan suffered from shortage of oxygen during birth at the private hospital. I immediately took a loan from the bank and took Mayan to a private hospital in Jeddah for treatment. After months of reviews and examinations, I could not bear the medical expenses anymore and was strapped for money. I returned to Madinah and filed a complaint at the Madinah Health Affairs against the private hospital and even submitted proofs that a medical error occurred during Mayan’s birth,” the father said.

The female doctor who committed the medical error has left the country for good, Al-Mahmadi said, calling upon the Ministry of Health to hold accountable the officials who delayed the case for almost eight years. He also called upon the ministry to treat his daughter at an advanced medical center.

Madinah Health Affairs spokesman Hatim Samman said the case was delayed because the private hospital where the medical error occurred did not respond to requests to show up before the pertinent medical committee. Samman also said the directorate was working on the case.