MADINAH: The Directorate of Health in Madinah has ordered two doctors to pay a compensation of SR100,000 for causing the death of a patient while undergoing a surgery in a private hospital in the city recently.
“The surgeon who committed an error while operating upon the patient will pay SR60,000 and the anesthesiologist, who is also responsible for the medical error, SR40,000 to the heirs of the deceased patient. Each of the two doctors will also pay a fine of SR10,000 to the public treasury, a penalty for the violation of the public rights,” Dr. Aqil Al-Ghamdi, director general of the Health Directorate, told Arab News yesterday.
The directorate issued the order on the basis of the report of a forensic medical board identifying the two doctors as responsible for the medical error and the consequent loss of life.
Earlier, a court examining a lawsuit filed by the heirs of the deceased man found that the two doctors were responsible for his death. However, no action was taken against other medical staff whom the petitioners accused of neglecting their duties as medical professionals.
Al-Ghamdi also directed the medical licensing authorities to take appropriate action against the hospital that allowed a doctor to practice as an anesthesiologist without the mandatory accreditation of the Saudi Accreditation Board for Medical Specialization.
According to a Health Ministry report released in July this year, more than 26,000 medical mistakes took place in the Kingdom between 2000 and 2006.
In 2007, a total of 323 convictions were made in the Kingdom for medical mistakes. The largest amount awarded so far as compensation for a medical mistake was SR800,000.
