Dental injection plunges man into coma for three months

A man has been in a coma for three months after seeking treatment for an infected tooth. Arnel Aldana Quirap, a 32-year-old Filipino, collapsed minutes after receiving an injection to reduce swelling around the tooth at the Iranian Hospital on March 23.

He was rushed to the hospital's Intensive Care Unit and later moved to the Critical Care Unit where he has remained in unconscious. Laundry worker Quirap, who is married with a baby daughter, visited the hospital's dentist on March 21 and was given medication to reduce the swelling around his tooth. He was told to return two days later to have the tooth extracted.

When he returned the swelling had still not subsided and he was sent to the hospital's emergency clinic for an injection. A friend who accompanied him said, "He came out of the room and was walking back to the dentist's office when he suddenly collapsed and fell to the floor. He was shaking and there was foam coming out of his mouth."

Passing hospital staff put Quirap on a stretcher and he was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit. It is believed that he suffered an allergic reaction to the injection. Quirap's distraught mother Cerelina has flown to Dubai from Manila to be at her son's bedside.

"I cannot bear to see my once healthy son lying helpless in the hospital," she said. "I can't understand how routine treatment for a sore tooth can result in something like this. "He has an infant daughter and wife to support in Manila. We haven't even told his wife what has happened because she has a child to look after and we don't want her to be upset."

She said a police complaint has been filed and answers are being sought from the hospital about what went wrong. The Philippines Embassy is helping the family. Ambassador Amable Agiluz said, "We are very concerned about Arnel's case and have raised it with Dubai's Public Prosecutor. We are planning to appoint a lawyer for Arnel as his mother is quite insistent on filing a case against the hospital."

Dr F. Roshanzamir, Director-General of the Iranian Hospital, refused to comment except to say that the Iranian Embassy, which has close links with the hospital, was working with the Philippines Embassy to resolve the issue.

Despite repeated requests no one at the Iranian Embassy was willing to comment.