YANBU, 19 August 2007 — A Saudi woman, who was brought to Yanbu General Hospital suffering from an asthma attack, was administered an allegedly banned drug and left brain-dead after her heart and respiratory system stopped.

Fateema Al-Refaie, 33, was brought to the hospital at 10 p.m. on Friday Aug. 3., said the woman’s brother Eid Al-Refaie. He added that his sister’s doctor, who had been treating her for seven years, administered a type of drug that has been banned by the Health Ministry. He is also alleged to have not checked her medical file to see whether or not the medicine would have an adverse effect.

After being administered the drug through injection, emergency doctors struggled to revive Fateema’s breathing. She was later admitted into the intensive care unit at the hospital and was put under an artificial respiratory system.

According to Eid, the drug has been banned by the Health Ministry and was given in spite of a memo warning against its use. Eid added that his sister, who has suffered asthma for more than 10 years, was taken to hospital at 10 p.m. and remained there until 9 a.m. the next morning.

“My sister was given a bed at around 11 a.m. and I went back to work after I saw everything was fine. She called me at around 2 p.m. and asked me to bring food and tea. Her condition was stable and she sounded better on the phone. ... When I went to the hospital at around 4 p.m. she was not in her room. I asked about her and they told me they didn’t know where she was,” said Eid.

He was later told that Fateema’s condition had suddenly deteriorated at 3 p.m. and that she had been taken to the intensive care unit and was being helped to breathe with an artificial respiratory system. “I was told that she was given an antibiotic injection that caused her heart to stop. When I went to the emergency unit she looked like she was dead. She wasn’t moving and a doctor told me that she would soon recover,” he added.

The following day Fateema’s doctor, whose name has not been disclosed, told Eid that his sister’s health had deteriorated and that she was moved to the intensive care unit for observation. Eid said he did not believe the doctor and went to the director of the Health Affairs in Yanbu Dr. Abdul Rahman Saeedi, who said that the doctor had made a mistake and administered a drug that caused her heart to stop.

Dr. Saeedi told Eid that he would personally follow up on Fateema’s case. The 33-year-old was also unsuccessfully taken off the artificial respiratory system to allow her to breathe normally.

Eid added that on Monday Aug. 14, he learned that his sister’s doctor had left the Kingdom. “I am afraid that the doctor returned to his home country and left my sister in this very bad condition without facing justice. I complained to the Yanbu governor’s office and to the health administration. I also heard that the Health Affairs investigated the doctor before he disappeared,” said Eid.

“He did say that he injected my sister because her medical record was delayed in coming. He injected my sister without ascertaining whether she was sensitive to the injection or not, despite the fact that he has been treating her for seven years. A number of doctors at the hospital said that my sister is brain dead. Who is responsible now?” Eid said.

When Arab News contacted Dr. Saeedi, he denied there was a mistake in the way Fateema was treated. He added that only a legal medical committee could determine if there was a medical mistake or not. “It is normal that a patient may be sensitive to a medicine but there is nothing wrong with the medicine,” he said.

Saeedi also blamed the patient for not telling the doctor that she is sensitive to the medicine. He also denied that the brother filed a complaint against the doctor and said that he is not fully aware of the case because he is currently on vacation.

Further to this, he also dismissed allegations that the doctor might have left the country. “When I was on duty he (the doctor) was following the patient’s case and I don’t know whether he is on vacation,” he said.

Dr. Saeedi added that a doctor employed by the Health Ministry and involved in a case like this could leave the Kingdom.

As for the complaint filed at the governor’s offfice, a special legal committee will be formed in Madinah and that the doctor would be banned from traveling until the committee makes a decision.

Arab News obtained a copy of the circular — numbered 16,978 and dated Safar 16, 1428 (corresponding to Mar. 5, 2007) — issued by Dr. Mansour ibn Nasir Al-Hawasi, undersecretary for executive affairs at the Ministry of Health. The circular — which was addressed to all medical establishments, including hospitals and clinics — outlined that the antibiotic that Fateema was injected with, had been banned.

The circular said that the medicine was temporarily banned because the Ministry of Health had received a number of reports about life-threatening side effects. It called on hospitals to report if they have noticed side effects from the use of the drug.

It also said that the medicine should not be used until the reason for the side effects is ascertained.