The owner of the private hospital allegedly responsible for the death of patient Tariq Al-Juhani, who died last Friday after a coma induced by medical error, has said that the Ministry of Health order on Sunday to suspend surgical operations does not apply to all its theaters. Speaking in an interview Monday, the owner and director of the unnamed hospital said: “Six of our 11 operation theaters were closed, but we have been allowed to use the others for emergency operations. Fourteen operations have been referred to other hospitals, four have been suspended, and eight were carried out on Sunday.” The hospital director regarded the ministry decision as “balanced” saying that it was “in the interests of the public.” He admitted that Al-Juhani's death was the second error to occur at the hospital, citing a previous case where a 20-year-old girl died from complications after surgery, but added that the latter case “was not regarded as a medical error by the investigation committee.” “Humans make mistakes,” he said. “The medical team overlooked some procedures because the patient was an acquaintance of the head of the surgery department.” The owner said that the Minister of Health was scheduled to visit the hospital in the next few days. Hospital to sponsor anesthetist The anesthetist involved in Al-Juhani's operation – who is also the wife of a consultant at the hospital – has been suspended and her assistant doctor fired, according to the owner. It was also reported Sunday that she has been barred from leaving the Kingdom as investigations into her role continue. “Although the female doctor was not recruited through a work visa in accordance with regulations and is still under the sponsorship of her husband, employing her was not a violation, as the doctor was already in the Kingdom when the visas were issued,” the hospital owner said. “She has degrees attested to by Cairo University, the Saudi Embassy in Egypt and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he said. “Management,” he added, “is currently in the process of transferring the doctor's sponsorship to the hospital.” Al-Juhani, a dentist by profession, died last Friday after three weeks in a coma.
