An accountant fired from his job at the embattled Al-Amal Hospital has rejected claims that he is insane and that his axing was because he had uncovered financial irregularities at the institution. This is the latest incident in the ongoing troubles at the hospital. It first hit the headlines after the recent “escape” from the institution by 15 drug addicts, allegedly over poor treatment. Earlier this week, a war of words broke out between the hospital's former director, Dr. Muhammad Shawoosh, and the current incumbent Dr. Osama Ibrahim. Shawoosh rejected Ibrahim's claim that the current management problems had been inherited from the previous administration. In the latest installment of the saga, Al-Amal Hospital in Jeddah terminated the services of this employee, whose name is withheld, from his job as first accountant. His salary has been stopped, effective from Jan. 17. The administrative decision, of which the newspaper has a copy, was issued by Ibrahim. Ibrahim had sought permission from the Director General of Health Affairs Management in Jeddah for this decision. Ibrahim had motivated for the axing of the accountant in a report compiled from the input of various departments at the hospital. In the report, it was claimed that the accountant was mentally instable and a danger to staff and patients. The accountant claimed this week that “influential people” at the hospital had accused him of being insane. As a result, he was transferred to the Mental Health Hospital. However, he claimed that he was declared unstable after refusing to sign certain financial transactions that violated the hospital's regulations. “I had earlier drawn their attention to these transactions that violated the payment regulations,” he stressed. “I was held in Al-Salamah Police Station on the basis of a letter from the hospital accusing me of being insane.” He said he was released from the police station after a personal guarantee was made by a person sympathetic to his case. “I detected some financial violations regarding the hospital's spending and refused to sign the official forms, so the administration started to marginalize me, by accusing me of suffering from a psychiatric illness. These were attempts to remove me from the hospital. They claimed that if I remained at the hospital I would pose a threat to the safety of employees and patients.” He said the financial violations include irregular use of petty cash, payments for “illegal” vacations and payments for staff that did not provide any service to the hospital. He said that petty cash was only meant for urgent and emergency cases, but was used for other purposes. “Also, there were payment orders for a visiting doctor that did not comply with the regulations. Furthermore, there was a visiting doctor who was paid a monthly salary of SR30,000 but the hospital did not benefit from him at all.” “I tried to meet the director of Health Affairs in Jeddah to explain the violations but all my efforts were in vain because I was told he was busy in official meetings.” “The only results I have received were that I was humiliated, dismissed from my job and held at the Al-Salamah Police Station on allegations that I was insane.” An informed source said that the accountant was examined by a specialist psychiatrist at the Mental Health Hospital and he would be checked by a medical committee of three specialists to determine his mental state. Dr. Adnan Mufti, Director of Mental Health in Jeddah, said the medical check-up would be completed within a week. He said the results would be kept secret and sent to Al
