Cardiac arrest cause of Bahrain inmate’s death, says Independent Ombudsman report

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The death of inmate Abbas Hassan Ali (49) at the Reform and Rehabilitation Center in Jau on Tuesday was due to a heart attack or apoplexy, confirmed a report by the Independent Ombudsman Office.

The report rejects any possibility of foul play in the mishap that sparked several rumours, which went viral on websites and social media platforms.

The Ombudsman report terming them as “misperception” said those allegations lacked the “simplest rules of objectivity and credibility.” “Such acts only resulted in increasing the sadness and pain of the family members of the deceased,” the report observed.

The independent Ombudsman said they collected CCTV footages and other information, examined several documents, interviewed witnesses and officials, and examined other inquires or procedures directed to the administration.

The report also expressed surprise at the false information campaign that accompanied the death and said,”They contained allegations far from the reality.” The inmate, the Ombudsman office said, had contacted them 11 times previously to file reports either personally or through family members.

The latest was on 28 June 2020 for access to dental health care.

At that time, the “inmate or his family members had not mentioned any complaint regarding heart disease or other chronic diseases requiring long-term treatment, except for in 2015.” At that time, the inmate had irregularities in his colon and requested to provide a special meal, which was accepted and executed promptly, confirms the Independent Ombudsman Office.

The report citing clinic records of the Reform and Rehabilitation Center also confirms that the deceased received usual health care in the clinic there like other inmates. “He did not have any chronic diseases or other serious illnesses,” according to the records.

The last referral of the inmate in the Reform and Rehabilitation Center clinic was on 20 September 2020 for ear pain, for which he received treatment.

The report also confirms that the inmate had not called for any medical on the day of the incident, citing inmates present in the same room.

We had dinner and...

The report quoted them, “We had dinner in the evening of 5 April 2021, then he went to sleep. Within minutes (after midnight), he woke up and told that he felt pain in his chest and a burning sensation in the oesophagus. “He then drank a pack of milk and leaned against the wall for a while, then went to the bathroom.

“After a minute or two (timings are according to the recordings of the surveillance cameras), he left the restroom and then fell directly on the ground.

One of the inmates gave him first aid, as others called the on-duty policeman.”

Inmate unconscious

The report also clarifies, citing surveillance cameras, that the inmate fell unconscious at about 12:05 am in the morning.

An on-duty policeman took approximately a minute to attend him at 12:06 am in the morning.

A paramedic came at 12:18 am and conducted preliminary check-ups, and called for an ambulance.

At 12:22 am, the ambulance arrived, and the paramedics transferred him to the clinic.

An on-duty doctor examined the inmate at around 12:32 am. The inmate was unconscious but was alive.

The doctor on call conducted first aid and decided to transfer him to Salmaniya Medical Complex at 12:39 am.

The ambulance left the centre at 12:44 am. Doctors at the Salmaniya Medical Centre confirmed his death at around 1:00 am and declared the cause of death as heart attack, the report said.

The Independent Ombudsman Office citing the CCTV recording of the cell and medical records confirmed that the timeline of dealing with the case was continuous and quick. “There was an organised response to the emergency,” the report said.

The report adds that the centre took around 20 minutes to transfer the patient to the outpatient clinic. “During those 20 minutes, there were many procedures implemented including calling the policeman at the scene of the accident, informing the duty officer, requesting an ambulance, transferring the inmate to the clinic.” The report further confirms that the officials transferred the patient to Salmaniya Medical Complex in about 40 minutes, which is quick.

Timely action

“This presents a quick and efficient use of time without any delays or any form of negligence,” the Independent Ombudsman Office observed.

The report also confirms that the employees and medical staff at the centre dealt with the situation professionally.

The Independent Ombudsman Office affirms that it deals with cases inside the Reform and Rehabilitation Center, Dry Dock Center and other care and deportation centres with all transparency.

The office also invites the public to view the reports to remain aware of the mechanisms to investigate such cases.