Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Majed, Emir of Madinah, made a surprise visit to the Madinah Comprehensive Rehabilitation Center, which is at the center of a controversy after a disabled resident died under mysterious circumstances, an Arabic daily reported Thursday. Prince Abdul Aziz asked about the condition of disabled residents at the center and the types of services they are being provided with. He visited all departments and also met with doctors. When the Emir arrived at the center, Abdullah Al-Yusuf, undersecretary for social services at the Ministry of Social Affairs, and Hatim Barri, acting director of the Ministry's field office in Madinah, were not available and were contacted by the Emir's staff and requested to come immediately. Residents' families were reportedly pleased with the Emir's visit and said they felt reassured that their relatives were receiving good treatment and that all negligent staff members would be held accountable. Meanwhile, the undersecretary is following up with the investigation team to find out the circumstances that led to the death of one of the disabled residents. He allegedly escaped from the center and was later found dead inside a septic tank. “Anyone found to have been negligent in performing his duties as caretaker will face the consequences of such negligence. Investigations are on and the truth will be revealed,” he said. Al-Yusuf also denied recent media reports that claimed residents of a disabled center in Tabuk were transported to Madinah to cover up for several deaths that took place at the Madinah center. “These allegations are unacceptable and the transfer of the Tabuk residents has nothing to do with these events.”
