ABHA — A Saudi woman has accused the directorate of health in Asir region and Abha Maternity and Children's Hospital of causing the death of her child because of their “sheer negligence.”The directorate of health, however, defended its position saying the child was born dead and the government hospital had extended all necessary care and support to the woman. Aisha, who came to the hospital for her first delivery, said the nurse on duty told her to wait as there was no vacant bed in the labor room. She said the delivery took place abruptly later after she was given medication to have labor pain. She also pointed out that the amniotic fluid around the fetus had gone out while she was waiting for a hospital bed. “The nurse came after five hours and after inspecting the fetus she said it was not moving and that they would take me to the labor room for removing the fetus,” Aisha told Al-Watan Arabic daily. She also pointed out that she was unaware of delivery procedures as it was her first time. “I stayed for one and a half day in the hospital's general ward and delivered the baby in the presence of other visitors including men. I was in an embarrassing situation,” Aisha said. She said the female manager of the operation room told her brother that they were unable to take her to the labor room because of the overcrowding of patients at the hospital. “So, I would say my baby died before delivery because of the negligence of hospital authorities.” Saeed, the brother of Aisha, said he had asked the hospital director to speed up procedures for the delivery of his sister after seeing her deteriorating condition but the director did not take any quick action. However, he stated that the woman's brain was affected by an electric shock. “If the hospital authorities had told him that her waiting would last long I would have taken her to a private hospital,” Saeed told the newspaper. Saeed Al-Naqir, spokesman of the health directorate, said: “The director general of the health department Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Haijan had called for an inquiry into the procedures taken by the hospital after Aisha's arrival.” The probe showed that she had an ultrasound check soon after arrival, which proved the fetus was dead. As she was not having natural labor pain, nurses had to give her medication. The delivery took place abruptly 6.20 p.m. on Monday in the presence of a nurse. The doctor on duty was with another severely bleeding patient. The woman left hospital in a stable condition.”
