JAZAN — A father has held the Ministry of Health responsible for his young girl's death. The girl died Friday at Jazan's King Fahd Central Hospital following contaminated blood transfusion. The girl identified as Hanan was suffering from sickle cell anemia. Her fathers, Jaber Dooshi, demanded those responsible for the mistaken blood transfusion should be punished and that the MoH should treat all his children in advanced hospitals, including his son Tareq, a university student, who suffers from a gland tumor. Hanan's uncle told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that his little niece was in agony and her condition was deteriorating while doctors did nothing to help her. Her death certificate stated that a virus in the blood was the main cause of death. “Medical services at Jazan Region are deteriorating and should be monitored. If this situation continues, more people will die.” He also said they had asked the MoH to transfer Hanan to a superior hospital but the ministry did not do anything about it and kept procrastinating due to the involved red-tape. Idris, Hanan's brother, said three of his siblings suffer from anemia and undergo blood transfusion every month. They are Hanan, who died, Huda (26), and Marwan (23, who has been hospitalized. Idris is worried that the condition of his sister and brother would get worse if they do not get proper treatment at better hospitals soon. His little sister Hanan sent him a text message before her death in which she said she was having difficulty breathing. “This was her last message.” He said his family will bring lawsuit against the MoH so that those responsible for her death are punished. Abdul Rahman, Hanan's eldest brother, said his little sister kept crying because of pain before her death and kept saying “Save me before I die.” This happened few days before her death when her temperature got high and some discolorations appeared on her body. When doctors administered infected blood to Hanan, they did not tell her family until some nurses decided to inform the family. Abdul Rahman said the medical report they represents is strong evidence that the hospital is responsible for Hanan's death. Abdul Rahman held Jamal Abdul Rahman, Director of Jazan Health Affairs, responsible for his sister's death because he did not expedite the process of airlifting his sister to another hospital. Abdul Rahman and his father went to the director's office few days before Hanan's death and explained to him the deteriorating medical condition of Hanan and asked him to airlift her to another hospital. He was told nothing could be done then because it was the weekend. “Does saving lives have certain days? What about the lives of innocent patients? Do we stop taking any measures because it is a Thursday or a Friday?” Abdul Rahman asked the director why Jazan Health Affairs has not signed a contract with a new hematologist after the death of the Nigerian hematologist. The director said they sent a request to the MoH but it has not been approved yet. Marwan, Hanan's brother who suffers from sickle cell anemia like Hanan and was bedded at the hospital along with Hanan, said he was surprised when his father asked him to get dressed and get ready to go home. When he got home, he saw many people there waiting to offer their condolences. He knew then that Hanan had died in the hospital. “I'm scared that I too would die like Hanan.”
