RIYADH, 3 March — A total of 218 people, mostly women, had died in the Kingdom as a result of medical malpractice from 1997 to 2000, Al-Madinah reported yesterday, quoting the medical disputes committee. It said one-third of these deaths (about 118) took place at hospital delivery rooms, while 82 deaths were in operation theaters. The report said medical committees in Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, the Eastern Province, Qasim and Asir regions had ruled on a total of 1,476 cases of malpractice during the period.