Nada, 23, slipped into coma after post-surgery CT scan Saudi Gazette report MADINAH — An alleged medical mistake ended the joy of Nada Al-Muhammadi, 23, two months before her marriage, leading her fiancé to ditch her while she was in the ICU even though all preparations had been made for the wedding. Nada's condition deteriorated after a post-surgery CT scan were conducted on her at the city's King Fahd Hospital. She lost the ability to move, speak and swallow food. After nearly seven months in the ICU, Nada had become an inpatient in the Medical Rehabilitation Hospital. Nada's suffering continues due to a lack of diagnosis of her condition and causes of her regression. The Health Affairs Department in Madinah evaded questions about the causes of deterioration in the patient's condition after the surgery. Nada has been receiving care at the Rehabilitation Hospital for more than a month now after she was admitted there on Sept. 2. She had been in the ICU at King Fahd Hospital for more than six months after she had a CT scan seven days after she underwent a surgery to remove a malignant tumor in her stomach. Ramadan Al-Muhammadi, Nada's father, said his daughter was taken to hospital last February after she complained of pains in the abdomen. Doctors at a private hospital diagnosed a blockage in her stomach. She was referred to King Fahd Hospital, where she took several tests including a biopsy, which confirmed the presence of a cancerous tumor in her stomach. A surgery was conducted on Feb. 29 to remove the tumor and her condition was stable after the operation. She was able to walk without problem. However, after she had a CT scan, she slipped into a coma. She was admitted to the ICU and was put on a respirator for 20 days. After that, she opened her eyes, but was unable to speak, eat or move. She has been fed through a tube ever since and another tube has been put on her chest to remove phlegm. Al-Muhammadi said since his daughter's condition deteriorated, doctors did not tell him the reasons for it nor did they diagnose her problem. He said he was tired of running after doctors to get their opinion on his daughter's condition because they did not show any sympathy or regard for his advanced age. Al-Muhammadi said he came to the hospital every day from his village 80 km west of Madinah, leaving his five children alone at home, as his wife was standing by their daughter in the hospital. The hapless father said doctors kept referring him to their colleagues, but none of them gave answers to his questions. Al-Muhammadi said he had submitted a request to the governor of the region and Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, Assistant Interior Minister for Security Affairs, to provide Nada with advanced treatment. The authorities approved the young woman's treatment at one of the specialized hospitals free of cost. However, all hospitals to which her medical report was sent, including King Faisal Specialist Hospital, King Fahd Medical City and King Abdul Aziz Medical City, turned down Nada's case. Nada's father wants the Ministry of Health to investigate his daughter's case. He also wants to know why all specialized hospitals refuse to treat his daughter after approval by the authorities. Al-Muhammadi's eyes welled when he recounted how Nada was preparing to celebrate her wedding and how the surgery crippled his daughter and ruined her life. The distraught father said he had to borrow from his acquaintances to repay the expenses of wedding preparations to Nada's fiancé. A medical report issued by King Fahd Hospital confirmed that Nada underwent a surgery on Feb. 29 and continued on intravenous fluid for seven days. On day eight, there had been a depletion of platelets in her blood and the patient was transferred to the Hematology Department where she was given medication to induce platelets. The patient then developed difficulty in moving her eyes. Doctors decided to do a CT scan of her brain. The results showed no signs of lesions or bleeding in the brain. As for the surgery, the abdomen was somewhat stretched, but the CT scan with dye did not show any blockage or collection of fluids. Then, the patient suffered from fits and was transferred to the ICU and was put on a respirator. After that, the patient had a CT scan and an MRI that had shown the presence of encephalopathy due to a lack of vitamin B-1 and the coma scale was 10/15. The report recommended referring the patient to a specialized center for treatment. Abdulrazeq Hafiz, Director of Public Relations and Media in the Health Affairs Department in Madinah, avoided questions about Nada's case by only saying the case was referred to the Medical Rehabilitation Hospital. Dr. Abdullah Bin Muhammed Shanqeeti, Director of the Rehabilitation Hospital, said Nada was examined by a medical rehabilitation specialist. Her condition is stable and she showed signs of improvement after she was put through a rehabilitation program prepared for her, he added.
