UAE | Health
Hospital accused of improper treatment
Gulf News had reported that Khamis Khalifa, 38, an Emirati from Al Ain, was admitted to Neuro Spinal Hospital for a medical check-up.
- By Bassma Al Jandaly, Staff Reporter
- Published: 22:58 July 25, 2007
- Image Credit: Gulf News
- More claim surgeries were unsuccessful.
Dubai: A man who was left totally paralysed after a brain surgery at a hospital has travelled to Germany for treatment.
Gulf News had reported that Khamis Khalifa, 38, an Emirati from Al Ain, was admitted to Neuro Spinal Hospital for a medical check-up.
Doctors said he needed immediate surgery to prevent bleeding in the brain. Abdullah, his brother, said his family were frightened about agreeing to the operation. Khalifa became paralysed and his situation has been deteriorating daily, Abdullah said.
Abdul Kareem Al Msadddi, consultant neurosurgeon and general manager of the hospital, earlier told Gulf News the patient was admitted to the hospital suffering from a brain haemorrhage.
The patient's family alleged the hospital management would not discharge him for treatment abroad.
Abdullah recently told Gulf News that Khalifa has been admitted to University Hospital in Bonn, Germany. "Doctors will evaluate his condition," Abdullah said over the phone from Germany. "The day Gulf News published the report about my brother on June 26, Neuro Spinal Hospital agreed to discharge him. The hospital also issued a medical report, which said he can be treated abroad," Abdullah said.
Khalifa, a father of nine, works for the armed forces which has covered the medical expenses.
As Khalifa undergoes treatment in Germany, another Emirati patient from Sharjah who is also in the armed forces said he did not receive proper treatment at the Neuro Spinal Hospital. The 38-year-old Emirati, a father of four, said he went to the hospital last year suffering from a severe headache, which he thought was a migraine.
He said he underwent a brain operation at the hospital last year, which left him completely paralysed. He was kept in hospital for around eight months. Although he has been discharged, he now spends his life in a wheelchair.
Another Emirati patient who is in his 60s has been in a coma for the past six months at the intensive care unit of the hospital. His family claims that he did not receive proper treatment. Gulf News tried to contact Dr Al Msaddi several times regarding these claims but he was not available for comment.
A senior official from the Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services confirmed that several cases have been filed at the department against the hospital. A committee is checking the cases, he said. "We have cases filed against the hospital by a Lebanese family and an American man called who said his 60-year-old wife is totally paralysed. She had a backache and underwent an unsuccessful operation at the hospital," the official said.
"The day Gulf News published the report on my brother on June 26, Neuro Spinal Hospital agreed to discharge him. The hospital also issued a medical report, which said he can be treated abroad, " said Abdullah Khalifa
Patient's brother
Gulf News repeatedly tried to contact Abdul Kareem Al Msaddi, consultant neurosurgeon and general manager of Neuro Spinal Hospital, to get the hospital's comments on the new developments in the story, but got no response.
Gulf News then sent a letter to Dr Kaydar M. Al Chalabi, acting Chief Executive Officer, Neuro Spinal Hospital, on July 17, asking for a response to the complaints. There was no reply. The newspaper sent a reminder on July 23 to which Dr Al Chalabi reserved the right to take legal action.
On Wednesday evening, the hospital sent a letter to Gulf News through their legal adviser threatening legal action if the story highlighting the new complaints is printed. The hospital said information on the story should be got from the right sources but it gave no response to the fresh complaints even though Gulf News gave it eight days to respond.
The hospital, however, sent a statement on Gulf News's first report, published on June 26. The statement says:
"It has been alleged in the article that a patient was admitted for a medical check-up and was told that he needed immediate surgery."
The fact is the patient had been referred to our hospital from another hospital in 2006 with a diagnosis of Large Grade 4 Arterio Venous Malformation in both Thalamus and midbrain [very difficult area for surgery and endovascular treatment is the treatment of choice].
At that time he received Catheter Guided Embolization in our hospital and was discharged to come back later for a second session. Hence, it is wrong to say that the patient was admitted for a medical check-up, as he was planned for a second session of embolisation, because the malformation is very big and cannot be done in one session.
He was never told that he needed surgery for the malformation and the only treatment proposed is the endovascular embolisation.
"It has been alleged that the patient was frightened into agreeing to urgent surgery."
First of all the word surgery was not mentioned and it is excluded as we said due to the very dangerous localisation of this malformation. The treating doctor who is a specialist in endovascular techniques is not doing surgery and he did not mention about surgery.
Medical condition
Arterio Venous Malformation Grade 4 is a life threatening medical condition and this malformation bled already and may bleed again at any time. This is an accepted fact in the medical field all over the world.
The diagnosis, patient's condition and the complications associated with the condition were explained to the patient and family. The available options for treatment and the risks involved in the procedure were also explained to the patient and relatives.
The family has given written consent for undergoing the procedure. Hence there was no coercion on the patient and family to undergo the procedure and it is surprising to talk about frightening him after he underwent the first procedure. So in the two admissions he was not proposed any surgery for the malformation.
"It is alleged that the management refused to discharge the patient and the family wanted to take the patient abroad for treatment. We do not keep and we have no right to keep any patient in our hospital against their will. It is the right of every patient to refuse treatment. This patient can leave the hospital any time with the signature of his family."
The patient was treated by a specialist doctor and underwent a Catheter Guided Embolization procedure, which occluded the Arterio Venous Malformation completely and then he was started on neuro rehabilitation. Significant improvement happened and then he developed active hydrocephalus which required a VP shunt procedure.
One of the brothers refused the procedure and wanted to take the patient abroad for this procedure. This refusal caused significant delay in the treatment and the patient's condition is worsening because of this brother.
VP Shunt is a simple procedure in any hospital having a Neurosurgery unit. About 200 VP shunts are done in a year in the UAE. For this reason the medical committee of the official sponsor did not send him abroad for this procedure.
This medical committee has been kept fully aware of the patient's condition, treatment provided and the prognosis.
The committee is also aware of the family's refusal to complete the advised treatment. The sponsor sent a medical team twice to assess the patient's condition and did not object in any way against the treatment provided in our hospital.
"It is alleged that the cost per day in the ICU is Dh6,000, which is incorrect and the figure mentioned is four times the real price."
"It has been alleged that a spokesman from DOHMS told them, that the Department of Health and Medical Services received several complaints about the hospital. The Department of Health and Medical Services has, in a written answer, declared that no such declaration was made by any of their officials.
We are increasingly receiving many letters of appreciation from our patients for the professional care that we have rendered to them over the last five years.
We have treated more than 20,000 patients in the last five years and they have been satisfied with the treatment provided. We receive patients, many of them with very difficult and dangerous diseases, from all over the Gulf area and they have been our satisfied customers.
Finding few patients who are not fully satisfied is always possible as they have very difficult diseases which are impossible to cure [like some cancer patients and some malformations in very high risky areas]. We are proud to announce that our results match the average of the best centres in the world.
Hospital authorities
"It is alleged that the hospital authorities said "why are they upset if they are not the ones who are paying us?" No such comment was made by the hospital authorities. "
"The caption under the photograph mentioned that he is in a vegetative state, which is wrong. The patient is conscious, is able to eat, sit, stand and walk at intervals with assistance and has started speaking a few words."
He has been taken under the charge of the neuro rehabilitation team, which is doing a great job and he was on the correct progress towards recovery until he developed active hydrocephalus which needed the VP shunt, but the patient's brother who is in the photograph with him has refused his VP shunt to treat his hydrocephalus. This refusal caused the patient's condition to deteriorate.
"Unavoidable complications are an accepted part of any medical or surgical treatment. This is well documented in medical literature.
It is very strange and inadmissible to see that the doctors in our country are not allowed to have any complications for the treatment performed [either surgical or medical] even if it is less than average of the best medical centres in the world, but on the other hand, it is acceptable to have complications in Europe, US or Thailand even for very famous personalities and it is accepted as fate.
"The diagnosis, patient's condition and the complications associated with the condition were explained to the patient and family. The available options for treatment and the risks involved in the procedure were also explained to the patient and relatives. The family has given written consent for undergoing the procedure. Hence there was no coercion on the patient and family to undergo the procedure and it is surprising to talk about frightening him after he underwent the first procedure."
Dr Kaydar M. Al Chalabi, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Neuro Spinal Hospital
Your comments
Most of the hospitals are profit motivated to a large extent; unnecessary tests have been carried out just to recover the investment on the equipment. Diagnosis has been incorrect in certain cases.
Dr. Khaleel
London,UK
Posted: July 26, 2007, 07:30
I am a nurse (but did not tell them). I was taken to the ER for not being able to breathe. It was a simple anxiety attack. My husband, a retired doctor, observed them take the oxygen from my nose and immediately give it (still wet!) to a woman who was having an asthma attack. Never ever in my life have I seen such impossible dirty practice. It is sad as Dubai, UAE, is one of the greatest places on the planet but has less than third world medical standards! Where is the shame! The good people of UAE deserve far better than they are getting.
Eman
Myrtle Beach, SC,USA
Posted: July 26, 2007, 05:44
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