Doctor who let patient die jailed for life

A former head of the ICU of a local hospital was sentenced to life imprisonment for premeditated murder by giving orders to his medical team not to resuscitate a quadriplegic patient and give him the necessary treatment when he suffered a heart attack.

The 50-year-old Austrian doctor, identified as E.A., was convicted in absentia as he had left the country earlier this year for family reasons.

Another doctor, an Indian identified as M.O., was cleared of assisting in the murder by failing to resuscitate the Pakistani patient.

The Court of First Instance also ordered the deportation of E.A. after serving his prison term.

According to the prosecution records, the incident happened in February 2009 when E.A. insisted that his orders be obeyed by all means and arranged for that. He removed the apparatuses that were attached to the patient, including a device to monitor the oxygen and tubes for artilleries and veins.

E.A. also allegedly ordered to increase the dosage of morphine given to the patient and decrease the quantity of oxygen below the necessary limit for the patient in the ICU.

The victim’s heartbeat slowed down gradually until it stopped as a result of that and he died. A Syrian doctor, 50, said that E.A. gave verbal orders and instructions to the nurse and medical team not to revive the patient or give him the necessary assistance when he had a heart attack.

One day before the patient’s death, some apparatuses that were attached to him and which were vital for his survival were removed upon E.A.’s instructions when he had a heart attack.

The Syrian doctor added that on the day of his death, the victim had a heart attack and M.O., who was on duty then, did not revive him or try to offer him the necessary medical help which led to his death.

An Egyptian consultant in intensive care told the prosecutor that the victim was not clinically dead but rather conscious at the time of the incident. He knew from the victim’s medical record and files and from doctors and nurses about E.A.’s verbal orders of not to resuscitate the patient. According to him, that was against the enforced medical rules. The victim’s death was due to not reviving him when he had a heart attack which happened upon E.A.’s orders. M.O. was the one who implemented those instructions.

Earlier, Ibrahim Al Mulla, defence lawyer of the two doctors, requested that the wrong done by his clients be considered as a medical malpractice. Sunday’s verdict is subject to appeal within 15 days at the Court of Appeal.

mary@khaleejtimes.com