Two Doctors Sentenced Over Patient’s Death
Two doctors received six-month prison sentences each after a medical error led to the death of a foreign woman who developed diabetic ketoacidosis, according to court proceedings.
The case dates back to March 6, 2022, when the woman was transferred from Bahrain International Airport to the Emergency Department at Salmaniya Medical Complex after she appeared unwell and was unable to travel.
Two blood sugar tests conducted about 20 minutes apart recorded levels of 7 and 12, raising concerns that she might have diabetes and required assessment by the Internal Medicine Department.
Instead, the second defendant referred the woman to the Psychiatric Hospital. A doctor there recommended admission, which the first defendant, the consultant on duty, approved.
The court found that the doctors failed to ensure the woman was assessed for an underlying medical condition and did not refer her to Internal Medicine for further examination and treatment.
As a result, her diabetes was not properly diagnosed, and she did not receive the necessary insulin treatment. She later developed diabetic ketoacidosis and died.
The Public Prosecution charged both doctors with causing her death by mistake through failure to comply with professional medical requirements.
The Lower Criminal Court initially sentenced both doctors to one year in prison, with BD100 bail to suspend execution of the sentence.
The High Criminal Court of Appeal later reduced the sentence to six months for each doctor. The Court of Cassation upheld the ruling.
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