Two doctors jailed for causing Bahrain man's death

TDT | Manama                                                       

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Two doctors accused of a medical error resulting in the death of a young Bahraini man during a gastric sleeve operation have each been sentenced to three years behind bars by the Lower Criminal Court.

The court also set an amount of BD500 to suspend the punishment, pending the outcome of their appeals. The Public Prosecution referred the two physicians to criminal trial for causing the death of a citizen due to their violation of professional standards and their negligence of necessary medical measures that could have prevented the fatality.

The Prosecution received a report from the deceased’s father, stating that his son’s death was caused by a medical mistake. Immediate investigations were initiated, and the deceased’s body was examined. The medical file was seized, and statements were taken from the deceased’s father and the medical staff who were supervising his condition.

A forensic doctor was appointed by the Public Prosecution to perform an autopsy on the deceased’s body to determine the cause of death. The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) was tasked with reviewing the medical procedures followed with the deceased, as well as assessing the compliance with medical standards in his case and the medical error attributed to the doctors and its relation to the death.

Evidence

The Attorney General affirmed before the ruling hearing that the evidence presented by the Public Prosecution in the case conclusively and beyond reasonable doubt proves the defendants’ guilt.

“The doctors’ mistake was violating the principles of their profession, which directly caused the victim’s death,” said the Attorney General. “The investigations revealed the defendants’ disregard for human life and their failure to fulfill their sworn duty of providing necessary medical care.

“The prosecution called for maximum penalties against the accused, highlighting the immense pain and distress inflicted upon the victim’s family by the loss of their son.” It is worth noting that a consultant doctor had earlier testified about the incident, confirming that one of the defendants, a GCC national, made the error of not admitting the victim to the hospital after experiencing post-operative pain.

Neglecting to prescribe antibiotics, the GCC doctor’s fault ultimately led to the victim’s death due to a failure to diagnose the patient correctly and take necessary measures, despite multiple visits by the victim.