MADINA: The Directorate General of Health Affairs in Madina is holding three doctors accountable for medical errors that led to the death of a five-month-old baby, a source told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. Majed Al-Muttari, the child's father, said he took the infant to the Maternity and Children's Hospital in Madina because he was repeatedly vomiting. He said doctors determined that the child was suffering from light symptoms of oxalic acid in one kidney. He said an Arab female doctor ordered a nurse to give the baby an intravenous dextrose solution, but the doctor dramatically increased the speed at which the solution was put into his body, which caused serious complications. The baby's skin turned blue and his abdomen started swelling. Al-Muttari said the doctor left the hospital when her shift ended, without regard for the child's condition. At this point, a resident pediatric doctor ordered a rapid investigation and referred the baby to the intensive care unit, where he died that day. He said the medical report indicates that the cause of the death was blood circulation failure and enlargement of the heart muscle —because of the way the woman doctor administered the intravenous solution. Dr. Muhammad Al-Shalahi, assistant director for Therapeutic Medicine, ordered the formation of a committee to investigate Al-Muttari's complaint, which accused the doctors of causing the death of his child. He said the committee held a series of meetings and thoroughly studied all the medical reports in the child's file before determining the death resulted from grave medical errors committed by the three doctors. He said the committee submitted its report to the Director General of the Health Directorate in Madina in preparation to refer it to the Shariah Medical Committee.
