NAJRAN — A Ministry of Health committee is investigating the death of a patient during a gastric banding operation, Al-Watan newspaper reported. Zaidan Al-Jabar, father of the deceased patient Thyab, said he decided his two sons should have the operation after he learned a specialist American medical team had arrived to perform such procedures. His two sons were admitted to King Khalid Hospital and all necessary tests revealed they could safely undergo the operation, he said. Al-Jabar said his other son Ayedh left the operating room in a good condition but there were complications with Thyab's operation. After six hours of waiting, the hospital asked the father to go home and come back the next day. The next day he visited the hospital, but no one could give him information about his son. He was referred to the hospital director, who informed him that his son died during the operation and that it was “God's wish”. The father said he was surprised to find out the director had performed the operation because he believed the American team was going to do it. Al-Jabar said he then submitted complaints to the Najran Health Affairs and the governorate. The father's lawyer, Ali Al-Hattab, said the medical committee has contacted the father. He has also received a call from the Najran Health Affairs to meet with Al-Jabar. Al-Hattab said the hospital has committed many mistakes such as having a different doctor perform the operation, which was against the father's wishes. In addition, the hospital has kept the victim's condition secret for a whole day, said the lawyer. The hospital also allegedly tried to solve the case amicably with the father without explaining the circumstances of the case. Meanwhile, the hospital director has denied that a committee has visited the hospital to investigate the incident.
