The Ministry of Health moved to keep the last of three premature triplets alive after two died after birth. The triplets, a boy and two girls, were born prematurely after a 23-week pregnancy. A baby boy died on Tuesday followed by a baby girl on Wednesday, Al-Madina Arabic daily reported Thursday. Three government hospitals in Jeddah – the Maternity and Children's Hospital in Al-Musa'edia, King Abdul Aziz Hospital and Al-Azizia Maternity and Children's Hospital – refused to admit the prematurely born triplets alleging that they did not have enough incubators, despite their critical health condition. The boy died on Tuesday after his heart and lungs stopped functioning while the baby girl died on Wednesday one hour after transferring her from the private hospital to the Maternity and Children's Hospital in Jeddah. The third infant (a girl) is still in an incubator in a private hospital, which admitted the mother for delivery. Arrangements are being made to transfer the surviving baby to the maternity hospital. This comes at a time when Dr. Sami Badawood, Director of Health Affairs in Jeddah confirmed that the Ministry of Health promised to bear the charges for keeping the triplets in the private hospital incubators starting from Monday. The father, Saudi national Muhammad Abdoh, would have to pay SR3,000 daily for the use of the incubators at the private hospital, a cost he cannot afford. He said the transfer of the triplets is being carried out under the supervision of the Emergency Administration depending on the vacant incubators in the government hospitals. Abdoh blamed the Health Affairs department in Jeddah. He associates their death with the government hospitals, which refused to admit the infants. He said the transfer operation for the second baby posed great danger for it and it was the direct reason for its death. The father further said that the female consultant doctor refused to receive the first baby, who died Tuesday, alleging a lack of incubators. After several requests the consultant still refused to admit the infants claiming they were too small. She later agreed to admit the infant. Abdoh said the private hospital bears part of the blame, as it agreed to transfer the second baby without taking the necessary precautions. The father hopes the third infant will not follow its two siblings. The boy who died on Tuesday was buried in Al-Faisalia Graveyard. – Al
