Two pediatricians and a general physician have been charged with committing a medical error and negligence which caused an 11-year-old boy to slip into a state of coma in July 2014. The boy is yet to recover from the state.
The defendants who have been charged in the Dubai Misdemeanors Court are a Syrian pediatrician, 48; a British oncologist, 49; and an Iraqi general practitioner, 45, who is still at large.
"If found guilty of the charges, the doctors could be jailed for up to two years, according to Emirati Lawyer Awatif Mohammed from Al Rowad Advocates."
According to the court records, the Palestinian boy was admitted to a Dubai hospital in July 2014 after he complained of recurring headaches. The hospital's pediatrician ordered some tests as she suspected the boy suffered from meningitis. She assured his family that the tests had no side effects.
After the tests, the father, 56, noticed a mixture of blood and a liquid on his son's bed. When he informed the nurse about this, she told him not to worry. However, the parents later learnt that the test should only have been done after a CT scan.
The pediatrician told the parents that the test results showed high inflammation rates, which she interpreted as meningitis. She admitted the boy to the isolation ward at the hospital.
The father told the court after another doctor prescribed some medicines, his son started screaming due to painful cramps.
About 15 hours later, the child was admitted to the ICU. The father said his condition deteriorated and the next day, he was moved to the ventilator.
During the prosecution investigation, the British oncologist said he had visited the child as he was in the isolation ward. He claimed the boy's mother told him that his condition was improving and he directed the nurses there to continue with the same medication. He added that he was not involved in diagnosing the boy or prescribing his treatment plan.
The Syrian pediatrician denied negligence and malpractice, and claimed the child had been suffering from meningitis, which is a fatal condition.
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