Majed Al-Seghairi Okaz/Saudi Gazette MADINAH — A medical Shariah committee has set next Sunday as a preliminary date for the public right sentencing of a doctor who allegedly performed botched circumcision procedures in Madinah. ENT specialist Dr. Naser Al-Sayed is accused of performing procedures that resulted in the complete loss of the penises of two babies and 50 percent damage to the genital areas of another five. The scheduled third hearing will also include the review of all medical reports before any verdict and sentencing. The owner of the polyclinic where the doctor worked, or its representative, did not attend the previous session. It was, however, attended by the clinic's lawyer Abdulrahman Al-Muhammadi and the fathers of the seven affected babies. The session was attended by judge Badr Al-Tuwalah, surgery consultant at the local children's hospital Dr. Hussain Sunduqji, the defendant, the Egyptian consulate's official in charge of Egyptian affairs Ahmad Zaki, and friends of the doctor. The session began with what was supposed to be the testimony of Al-Sayed, who refused to testify. He said his lawyer will submit his defense at the next hearing. The doctor then left the court under tight security and the committee called the families of the affected babies. The fathers showed the committee photos of the affected organs and condemned the irresponsibility of the polyclinic for allowing an ENT doctor to perform such procedures. They also questioned the future of the affected babies who could not urinate normally and those who lost their penises. A medical report has accused the doctor of performing procedures that were not part of his specialty. The medical report also specified the percentage of damage of the affected babies' penises. The committee has postponed sentencing in the private rights cases brought by the babies' families, pending medical reports from King Faisal Specialist Hospital (KFSH). The babies will be admitted to KFSH this month for examinations and possible treatment. The medical Shariah committee issued a directive last Saturday for detaining the doctor. A specialist committee is expected to arrive in Madinah to examine the babies and submit its report to the medical Shariah committee. The families expressed gratitude to Madinah Emir Prince Faisal Bin Salman for his concern and instructions to concerned authorities to provide the best possible treatment for the babies.
