The anesthetist involved in a case that resulted in the death of dentist Tariq Al-Juhani during surgery in a private hospital more than five months ago is likely to be sentenced to six months in prison by the Jeddah Shariah Medical Commission, according to informed sources. The anesthetist will also be fined SR30,000 and banned from practicing in the Kingdom, the sources said. The hospital is likely to be fined SR100,000, they said. The commission's verdicts are based on the fact the hospital violated regulations and appointed doctors who were not licensed to practice medicine by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. The defendants can appeal the verdict within 60 days of its issuance. Ahmad Zaki Saleem, one of the two lawyers representing relatives of the deceased, said that medical error during the surgery has been proven and the malpractice requires punishment “to protect patients from the repeated mistakes of private hospitals”. The other lawyer, Dr. Tariq Aal Ibrahim, said the commission's sessions revealed several violations including the severe shortage of medical equipment in operation rooms. The two lawyers asserted that they stuck to their demand for the severest punishment against those who caused the death of Al-Juhani. They said the muscle tranquilizer given to Al-Juhani was not proper for his condition. Dr. Nadia Bundoqji, Plastic Surgery Consultant at King Abdul Aziz University, said the anesthetist and the hospital have committed clear violations. Several mistakes occurred "from the insertion of the oxygen tube improperly to the improper resuscitation attempt". "The CT scan showed oxygen was cut off for 30 minutes during the surgery with the medical team not knowing about it," she said.
