Bahrain court adjourns appeal in medical negligence case

Manama: The High Criminal Appeals Court adjourned hearing the appeals of five female doctors accused of medical negligence that led to the death of a woman and her foetus, until May 26 for review.

The five, including two Bahrainis and three Asians of Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC), were earlier given a suspended one-year imprisonment each.

The victim, the mother, was a sickle cell patient and was admitted to SMC after it was discovered that the fetus moved from its normal place.

The doctors initially suggested to perform a caesarean surgery to deliver the child.

Though her husband decided to get a second opinion from a private hospital, he later brought her back to SMC.

However, this time, the doctors decided on a normal delivery for her and their attempt failed. They eventually ended up performing a caesarean operation.

“A doctor came to me and requested me to go inside the theatre and calm down my wife as the foetus was dead. She convinced me they couldn’t save the child as her life was at risk,” the husband told prosecutors.

“The foetus was removed and the mother was put in the intensive care unit. However, she also died after several hours. I blame the doctors who operated her for the death,” the husband added.

A probe report into the case held the doctors guilty.