HMC doctor in dock over patient’s death
A surgeon of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is on trial after a patient whose abdominal surgery was stopped midway due to profuse bleeding died later.
The surgeon has been charged with negligence and for giving erratic orders to intensive care staff which allegedly led to her death.
A woman had to undergo operation of her abdomen but as the surgical procedures began she started bleeding profusely, Al Sharq reported yesterday.
The doctors ordered for blood of her group from the blood bank but supplies could not be had in time. The surgeon, therefore, decided to shift the patient to the ICU until blood was arranged for.
In the ICU, the bleeding didn’t stop, so the intensive care staff panicked and got back to the surgeon asking for his advice.
The surgeon told them to stuff some cotton in the patient’s abdomen. The patient died later. The HMC set up a committee to investigate wether the patient had died because of the doctor’s mistake.
The case was referred to court which has adjourned the hearing and put the next one in June.
Source : http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/153364-hmc-doctor-in-dock-over-pa...
Dear Super Its Enough.
your Impatience and the language reveals your standard.
it is said that whoever you maybe or what social status you are in your language will reveal you and make you ashamed in public.
@ dumpy,perhaps you should actually READ the post BEFORE replying mate!...so to repeat myself,A VERY MINOR % of doctors @ HMC are competent medical practitioners,a MINOR % of ANYTHING DOES NOT make the establishment a GOOD ONE. fair enough?...
So you were treated by one of the good doctors @ HMC,lucky you,that does NOT mean that HMC standard is good,for that to happen,a ratio of something like 80-90% competent doctors would be more like it & that is FAR from the case @ HMC...it may be the only tertiary care hospital here & i'm not disputing that fact,being the only one,doesn't automatically make it a good one now does it?!...
I don't want to comment on nationalities and that particular hospital (epitome of corruption and wastage of Qatar's public resources).
But people must know that the JCI accredition given to asian or ME hospitals are not the same as that in US. If you go to their website, they clearly mention that these quality assessments are as per local standards. So guys, learn to read the fine lines.
JCI has been known to have corrupt dealings in many third world countries. There is no reason to think that they will be acting saints in Qatar.
Healthcare in Qatar still has to go a long way. A physician's licensure examination can be a step in right direction, but then who says that examinations and assessment will be corruptionfree. So chill it.
BTW, some agencies are charging upto 10,000 QR to physicians for forwarding their application to HMC recruitment.If it is so, may God help HMC patients.
Homealone SOB/MF B**, it was people prior to my post who made the comparison with Indian hospitals, i merely responded to them. You are lying, there has never been a rejection of HMC by JCI, the first inspection was in 2006 and HMC got accredited.
Doha nights, i dont know about the details of case in question, but there are lot more reasons for bleeding then a mere low platelet count. Again you are judging by reading a newspaper report. Things might have been totally different.
there is a lot of alternatives! At least it will be some less patients a HMC which is already overcrowded!
What is the point in streching your finger towards Indian hospitals Mr. Superdog. Here the subject does not have any connection to Indian Hospitals. And Regarding the JCI accreditation please dont discuss much. Since 2002 there were many JCI inspection in HMC and the JCI rejected HMC. and finally in 2006 they got it the same way 2022 world cup. And for a good doctor no need to get trained in USA or UK.All that he need is heeling hand and smiling face to make the patient happy, perhaps you can say the unseen hand of God.
@gadarene.. one one hand you say lots of good doctors of all nationalities and on the other hand you are over exaggerating by saying that only 1 % are good. Its the only tertiary care hospital here.. like it or not..
@ dumpy,just to clarify,there are good doctors of ALL nationalities practicing @ HMC, MANY of whom are Indian & i know personally,collectively these good physicians,specialists & surgeons make up probably 1% of the doctors @ HMC,i was referring to the other 99%!...
@ superdoc,that must explain why so many of your countrymen & women(you've put nationality as "Qatar",i'm assuming you're being honest.) choose to fly to India for treatment...& the rest that can afford to,go to Europe...i think that fact alone should be enough reflection of the overall standard @ HMC...i'm not talking about the 10 good doctors out a few hundred that practice there,i'm talking about the OVERALL standard of practice...
JCI accreditation eh?...perhaps you would care to explain to the rest of us why the oral surgery OT was shut because a fungal mold was found in it,ONE WEEK after getting the "JCI accreditation"??? money can buy anything my friend,try this JCI accreditation crap on people who don't know the real story...
Cotton in an abdomen......Yikes!! I think this is only half the story we get here.....So if they 'stuffed' cotton into the abdomen, that would suggest the abdomen was left open.....unlikely......Also one has to question the competence of the nurses here too.....they also should know better.....more to the story than is written here methinks!!
"HMC standards much better than Indian hospitals" -
In India we have the "government" hopitals where the service and care is free, and at the other extreme we have some world class hospitals, and you pay through your nose for eberything. And then you have the ones in between. In comparison HMC will fall into the "in between" category.
Yes, we have have "some" really good doctors and nurses in HMC, but in general service is crap.
superdoc, you seem to be a doctor so tell us why things went wrong for the patient
- why did the surgeon start the operation when there was no blood of her blood group available there?
- the blood didn't clot, its clear the platelet count might have been low. again, why did the surgeon start the operation with that platelet count?
HMC standard is far better than Indian hospitals. HMC is accredited by JCI since 2006. 80% of consultants at HMC are trained in USA or UK and they are here because they would like to live and practice in a muslim country. And you cannot judge based upon a newspaper story written by a non-medical person, let the court decide about the case. HMC is the only tertiary care hospital in the country so people do not have anything to compare with. Go to hospital in UK or USA and you will not be seen before 6 hours and you will selling your house for surgery if you dont have insurance and if you happen to be on waiting list for surgery in UK you may die before getting one.
@gadarene.. i understand you have your opinion and i have mine. I know doctors in India are excellent and i was treated by one of the India docs here.. Im not suggesting that doctors of other nationalities are not as good or qualified..But i know there are some very good and qualified Indian doctors in HMC.
Lincoln Pirate, I can list you at least 10 good surgeons from my country with superior qualifications that could come to this place and do a better job. On the other hand I am happy to share with this forum that our 3yr old daughter almost died because of malpractice thanks to some high-end doctor who was unable to diagnose that she had salmonella (she was just 11 months at that time) and BTW this lady was making probably ten times that 50.000 QAR salary.
I repeat, money is not the issue... there are some pretty good doctors in Asia that could do a much better job for the same money. This is a matter of professionalism, ethics and recruitment.
so many requirements, professionally and as required by local or international laws. Don't misread my comment!
IMO that isn't an apt arguement that just because I cleared the interview I can run wild with my profession. And by and large the medical services here are pathetic, this incidence is just like an icing on the cake. I dont go any further than taking a Panadol prescribed by the doctors here without seeking second advice.
or any company here. You apply and if you pass the interview, then you are employed.
I would suggest to wait for the outcome of the investigation before giving unfounded accusation of incompetencies. If proven as Doctor's fault, then he deserved to be punished or his licensed be revoked and not allowed to practice anymore. But until such is proven, he is given the benefit of the doubt!
Mike, or maybe you don't know what you're talking about. A heart surgeon has the following load: a pre-medical course (4 - 5 yrs), Medical proper course (4 yrs), Internship (1 yr), Residency in general surgery (5 yrs), Residency in Cardiovascular Surgery (3 yrs). All together 18 years. Do you think this guy will work for 50.000 Riyals a month?
I wish for the day where we could see experienced and qualified doctors in HMC...
Lincoln, sorry but you have no idea of what you're talking about.
I fully agree with tinkerbell and this is one of the many reasons why certain countries are stricter when issuing licenses to medical practitioners from abroad.
So are we supposed such response from the Doctor?
In HMC.. if you cannot speak Arabic will find very difficult. next step then...no comments about doctors
@ dumpy,my "home country",like yours is India,forget about us expats,perhaps i can introduce you to some QATARIS who have so little faith in the standard of public healthcare here that they have asked for & i've given them referrals to good doctors/hospitals in our "home country"...& these are people who can't afford to go to Europe or the US for their medical care...
you were a PATIENT.period. you are NOT a doctor or a surgeon or a nurse or a paramedic,so really the only person "commenting with no idea" here is you my friend,we are talking about the PRACTICE side of HMC,one you,as a patient DO NOT get to see...
You were admitted @ HMC & had the best care according to YOUR STANDARDS,which is relative because your standards, as a non-medical professional will be based on the standard of healthcare you have received thus far(which can't be very high i must say,if you think HMC standard is ANYWHERE NEAR that of a good private hospital back home.)...
My apologies to you for the dismissive tone in my post but the manner in which you replied based on the ONE experience you had @ HMC as a PATIENT seemed like a bit too much of a broad generalization without knowing the reality of the situation in question...
From my experience...HMC & all the Health care providers in Qatar are waste of time & the worst places to deal with!...they just act like doctors...but total waste
when ever you go for an emergency, they just take your urine & blood sample & within hours you'll be OK
hahahaha...wake up qatar!
I would not recommend evaluating/giving any exam to doctors here, then we wouldnt have any. Dont worry they will learn in time ;))
Before every surgery doctors need to carry out a complete blood test. Some patients have less blood platelets which effects the clotting of the blood. If the platelet count is less, surgery is not recomended till the level is brought up by continued medication.
The doctor's certificate should be revoked.
people people.. this is so funny.. Go to you "home countries" and you will find papers filled with malpractice and medical negligence. And i cant believe how dumb some of you are who say have you seen to O.T, its a chaos.. Why are you guys commenting upon something you have no idea about? I was admitted in HMC and had the best care , just like i would have in any good private hospital in my country.
Not experienced Hamad Hospital.
However - the few times I have been or taken the kids to a hospital here (Al Ahli) we have had wonderful care. Maybe we were lucky.
Hubby had surgery at Doha Clinic last year and he had a fantastic Surgeon and was full of praise for the Nurses and the Doctors.
To be honest - I would take my chances here rather than go back to the UK.
One of my relatives has been in a hospital in the UK on and off for over 6 months; bed bound most of the time. In 6 months he has two bed baths, he asked a 'nurse' one day if he could have a bowl of water so he could soak his feet - she said 'I am a Nurse not a Chiropodist'.
Not going to comment on this Doctor as I think most Doctors all over the world at some time have been under investigation and at the moment we don't know if this true or conjecture.
amdameer
thank GOD ur frnd is ok now... i dont undrstand y thy r so careless.... very sad plight....
i agree.. most of the doctors in HMC are not reliable.. it happends to one of my collegue way back 2 years ago and another happends to my bf cousin 3 months ago... and the same stories from everyone around who had the experienced to be in the same situation. Base on the stories that i've heard, most of the doctors here are not good enough in performing such operation procedures.. they will make the situation of the patient more worst..so better to go home in your home country for good safety operations, than to take a risks in these hospital.
The salaries for doctors are ridiculously low compared to Europe. No surgeon who studied 8 years in Europe would work here. Unless he failed in Europe.
If you pay peanuts, you get ...
It's time to be bold enough to take the blame rather than blaming others. I pity the patient and his/her relatives and friends to agree to go in for a surgical procedure in hamad or anywhere within the country.
eyewash...i'll believe this if the surgeon in question in question is proven guilty & actually gets banned from practice & goes to jail,appearing in court means nothing if the verdict of "not guilty" has been pre-determined...
If all the doctors/surgeons guilty of malpractice/negligence @ HMC were actually taken to court,we'd see more of them in court than @ HMC!...jokes aside,that's a fact...the levels of medical negligence @ HMC is astounding to say the least,people don't know about it because HMC successfully puts a lid on these cases is a different issue...
Supreme Council of Health in a bid to regularize things @ HMC which until now has been functioning as an independant body answerable to no one,has floated a proposal for all HMC doctors to pass a licensing exam,which understandably HMC is strongly oppossing from the highest level...not surprising,considering that if they were to take the exam,more than 50%(& i'm being conservative here) would be found unfit to practice...
Things are unlikely to change anytime soon though,it's like the mafia in there...
Must admit. I would be nervous of the Doctors here.
I don't trust any doctor anywhere.
I don't trust any doctors here
Stuffing cotton in the abdomen of the patient? Really strange!
If any one has a chance just peek in to the operation theaters, have a look, it is nothing but chaos !Anything can happen.
I always thought blood arrangement is done before the surgery as basic precaution.
now thats a marvelous doc
Poor patient, although medical negligence is very hard to prove in court. I hope the patient and his/her family gets justice.
very sad story.