JEDDAH, 27 July 2006 — Administrators at a public hospital in southern Jeddah are investigating the death of a 20-year-old Egyptian man who was admitted Monday afternoon in a coma but didn’t receive treatment until late in the evening, Al-Madinah daily reported yesterday.
The delay was allegedly due to a dispute between internists and neurologists over how to treat the man suffering from an undisclosed physical condition.
“We cannot determine that the patient died as a result of a medical negligence,” said Adnan Al-Alfi, an assistant manager at the hospital, who added that an internal investigation is under way.
“If it is found that the death was due to negligence the case will be transferred to the health affairs in Jeddah to take necessary action,” he added without elaborating.
The report said the man was admitted at 3 p.m. on Monday due to water buildup around his brain due to his physical disability. Doctors determined that the man needed immediate surgery to stabilize his heartbeat and to install a stint to drain fluids and relieve the pressure on his brain.
But by 10 p.m., seven hours after being admitted to the hospital, the patient’s heart stopped and he was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
Relatives weren’t notified of the death until the following afternoon.
