MADINAH: The Board of Forensics Medicine in Madinah has cleared a hospital here of negligence involving the death of a citizen at its facility, citing lack of evidence and that the defendants, two consultants, failed to turn up for the hearing.

The family of the patient had filed the suit against the Madinah Heart Center, claiming two consultants had not adequately monitored his condition after surgery, according to a report in a local publication recently.

During the hearing, two other doctors employed at the center testified that the consultants were not present to oversee the patient. However, one consultant had provided advice on how to handle the patient by the telephone after he was informed of the situation, the doctors stated.

Abdul Alim Ishaaq, head of the intensive care unit, testified that the patient underwent open-heart surgery to transplant arteries and repair valves, and was then transferred to the intensive care unit where he was connected to a ventilator. He decided to remove the laryngeal tube and disconnect the ventilator from the patient after giving him 100 micrograms of fentanyl, a powerful sedative and painkiller.

Ishaaq said further tests showed a high level of acidity in the blood and increased levels of carbon dioxide, with the patient losing consciousness. He then asked a nurse to call the consultant from his office. At this point, an anesthesiologist reconnected the patient to the ventilator once again due to a “dramatic drop in his breathing rate and slowed heart rate.”

“While trying to save the patient, the consultant or the specialist supervising the case could not be found, and upon calling the consultant, he advised over the phone that the patient remain connected to the ventilator,” said Ishaaq.

Iskander Khan, a physician, testified that he had contacted the consultant in the middle of the night to inform him of the patient’s deteriorating situation, and had been instructed to increase the level of oxygen for the patient. When the patient did not respond, he contacted the consultant again, who said an artificial respirator should be used.

After no response and a deteriorating breathing rate, he said he contacted the consultant once again suggesting to use the artificial ventilator. “The consultant only arrived several hours later at the hospital,” said Khan.

A source revealed that consultants and doctors had requested at the beginning of the hearing to submit the case to King Fahad Medical City for a technical report on the condition of the patient. However, the board based its ruling on a letter from the director of Prince Sultan Center for Heart Disease Treatment at the Armed Forces, which indicated no evidence of a medical error.

The patient’s family said they would appeal the ruling. The Ministry of Health has instructed that a committee be formed to look into the complaints of the family.