UAE | General

Hospital in Sharjah refused to remove my boy's stitches, shocked father says

Parent says he was told to return to Fujairah where four-year-old's wound was treated

  • By Bassma Al Jandaly, Senior Reporter
  • Published: 00:00 March 5, 2010
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: Supplied
  • A four-year-old Iraqi boy was refused treatment to remove stitches at Al Qasimi Hospital, his father claims.

Sharjah: A hospital in Sharjah refused to remove stitches from a small boy's ear because they did not carry out the work, his father said.

Saif, four, an Iraqi who lives in Sharjah, cut his ear during a visit to Fujairah at the weekend. He had been playing inside his father's car when the door closed on his ear.

"He started bleeding severely. We live in Sharjah and we are not familiar with Fujairah. Some people over there helped us to go to the Fujairah government hospital," the father said, adding that his son had received 10 stitches.

Four hours

"The doctors told us that we needed to remove the stitches after a week at any government hospital in Sharjah," he said.

However, when they went on Wednesday to Kuwaiti Hospital in Sharjah he was told to go to Al Qasimi Hospital.

"I live in Al Nahda in Sharjah and it took me four hours to reach the hospital," he said, adding that hospital staff refused to listen to his son's case.

"I was told that this was not their job and that I had to take him back to Fujairah to remove the stitches," he said, adding that his son had a health card.

"I asked them to just clean the ear and the wound but they refused."

He said the doctors were standing and chatting together.

"They refused even to look at me or at my little son asking me to leave the hospital.

"They said, ‘Take him to Fujairah or to a private clinic,'" he said, adding that he had received directions for a private clinic from a policeman at the hospital.

"I am not asking them to admit the boy into hospital so he will occupy a bed."

The hospital said that the father had arrived at the emergency section when the hospital was closed.

"The case of the boy was not urgent and he can take him anywhere to remove the stitches," an official from Al Qasimi Hospital told Gulf news.

Comments (13)

  1. Added 17:36 March 5, 2010

    this is not only case that hospital. some doctors not so expert when they doin treatment they start turning books reading and give it become so late my appartment new born baby was admited any having a urin problem they did't give a proper treatment that urin infection change to blood they said to show to any other doctor take treatment. finaly a private hospital treat the baby now he is ok .it happen in the same hospital

    Anonymous, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

  2. Added 16:25 March 5, 2010

    this is a very sad situation. not only in sharjah, also in other parts of emirate, in such hospitals the doctors are reluctent to treat patients. i know in one of the periferal hospitals under sharjah medical district, an indian patient who is working in the same hospital as a cleaner, admitted in icu, had some ungent situation during night and the staff called the doctor concernd, but the response from the doctor was heavy firing for desturbing his sleep.Please pray not become a patient, or go to pvt. which is not affordable for low income people

    Anonymous, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates

  3. Added 15:54 March 5, 2010

    i guess the govt hospitals deal with the new emergency cases, but for the follow up of removing the stiches and changing the bandages, they have to go to the peripheral govt clinics, which are scattered at diff places in SHJ.. Wish the above commentetaors just spent atleast half hour of their lifetime just to observe the rush at the SHj AL Qassimi hospital on a normal working day,and see as to how meticulously the duty docs and asst staff handle these bunch of ever-so-demanding bunch of patients of the multicultural society and to put up with their temper tantrums and silly demands.., at times they even raise their hands at the staff. And it is not the duty of the Govt hospital doctor as the rules don't allow him to remove the stitches of a old patient treated somewhere else after 5 days... They must've suggested peripheral govt clincs, or for extra emergency nearby pvt clinics. , appreciate the hospt staff did atleast that... wht is the big commotion???? At govt hospital, each patient thinks of himself as a VIP,,, and nothing less!!!!

    Anonymous, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

  4. Added 15:35 March 5, 2010

    It is bad to see UAE govt hospital refusing patients, this always happens, The ministry have to look at the hospital rules and amend them, someday someone may die due to rules and regulations.

    Bagaa, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

  5. Added 15:18 March 5, 2010

    I did not ever see such a hospital. they had time to chat but they could not remove the stich of a four yer old? the parents also had to suffer a lot. this type of behaviour is just unacceptable.

    Fadlullah Mohammad, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

  6. Added 15:05 March 5, 2010

    Great, hospital was closed and that also emergency section.

    Anwar, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

  7. Added 14:21 March 5, 2010

    Al Qassimi hospital in Sharjah has an Emergency department and according to the hospital management it was closed in this case. You must be kiddng!!! Hats off to this hospital, its Doctors and the emergency department.

    Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  8. Added 13:29 March 5, 2010

    i thought are hospitals there to treat all patients. they are not there to refuse anyone who need medical care since that is the foremost responsibility of hospitals and doctors. why refuse such treatment when it is a simple wound that needs the stitches to be taken out, it will not even take an hour to remove the stitches. this kind of treatment is unfair since it is a government hospital and i thought they are the least who will refuse anyone especially in this case. i do pity the parent and the boy who sought treatment and was treated in this manner. what a shame really.

    Anonymous, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

  9. Added 12:42 March 5, 2010

    It would be better if the hospital displayed a sign-board stating these so called rules that they follow so that the patients could decide whether to go in or go elsewhere.

    Anonymous, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

  10. Added 12:09 March 5, 2010

    this is obvious,but it happens many time but why isn't anything done about it? Such kind of matters is really needed.doctors had time to chat but no time to look at the patient.

    Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  11. View more comments

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