The man took his case Monday to Saudi broadcaster Ali Al-Alyani, who presents "People Talk" on Rotana radio. The program deals with various problems of people with a view to finding solutions to them.

Al-Alyani told him live over the telephone that he could not do anything for him, because the man had previously presented his case on the program and had refused to accept an offer from a philanthropist to bear the expenses of an operation that would restore his eyesight. The broadcaster said the man feared to lose his case against the hospital if he accepted the offer.

Commenting on the case, Director of Health Department in Jeddah Dr. Sami Badawood told Arab News that it had become a phenomenon to see Saudis and foreigners trying to win compensations for alleged medical mistakes.

He said an increasing number of people these days refused to pay the bills of private hospitals using lame excuses. He cited the example of a number of people claiming to have lost their relatives during the crisis of rains and floods in Jeddah in 2009, while these relatives had actually died of other reasons.

"We are trying to concentrate on our basic mission, which is to extend medical services to people without being distracted by side issues," he said.