Health authorities in the Northern Border province are investigating the death of a woman at Arar Central Hospital's Gynecology and Obstetrics Department after claims that she was left bleeding for four hours after giving birth. The woman's husband has lodged a complaint with the region's Health Affairs Directorate accusing a doctor of failing to intervene as his 25-year-old wife lay bleeding to death. The husband's complaint says that his wife gave birth to a baby boy at midnight but an hour and a half later began bleeding profusely, and so he sought the help of nurses at the ward who called the doctor on duty. The doctor ordered blood to be brought from the blood bank, and the complaint says that a hospital worker was sent on foot to bring the blood, noting that the doctor should have instructed that it be brought by ambulance since the bank was located hundreds of meters from the ward. The doctor should have considered the time factor in such cases, according to the complaint, which on that basis holds the doctor responsible for the woman's death. Head of Health Affairs in the province Faisal Al-Thubaiti said he had ordered a committee to investigate the woman's death and that if any evidence of negligence was found on the part of the doctor the case would be referred to the Shariah Medical Committee in Qassim.
