DAMMAM, 18 September — The Geneva-based Human Rights Commission will look into the case of a Saudi woman who died following an operation in Manama, Bahrain, in 1999.
The commission’s move follows the plea by the dead woman’s husband who expressed dissatisfaction over the legal procedures against the people who were responsible for the death of his wife, who was undergoing treatment for infertility.
In addition to damages of SR1 million, the husband had demanded the Bahraini authorities to disqualify the lady doctor who operated upon his wife as it was reportedly found that the death was the result of the doctor’s errors during the surgery.
The husband was prompted to seek the intervention of the human rights agency as he noticed that the military hospital in Bahrain, where the operation was made, was still allowing the guilty doctor to continue practicing, which may lead to more deaths of unsuspecting patients.
He also charged that the Bahraini court did not make a judgment in the case or punish the guilty doctor, the medical team which assisted her and the military hospital who employed the incompetent doctor — though three years have passed since the death.
However, hospital sources have refused to comment on the issue, preferring to wait until the commission’s sitting next week.
According to the attorney of the aggrieved party, Isa Al-Burashid, the move does not mean that the civil suit at the Bahraini court will be withdrawn. His client approached the international agency in an attempt to find additional support from a neutral agency, particularly in light of a report issued by the Suleimaniyah Hospital holding the doctor responsible for the patient’s death, the attorney said.
“The inordinate delay in the final verdict of the case makes it imperative to look for other agencies to expedite the case,” said Al-Bourashid.
The woman, who could not conceive, died following an operation to facilitate pregnancy.
According to the medical report, a number of complications — such as excessive bleeding and breathing difficulties — developed during surgery, which eventually resulted in the patient’s death. She was immediately taken to the Suleimaniah Hospital, where she was again operated on in a desperate attempt to save her life.
