Abu Dhabi hospital told to pay Dh200,000 for medical error

Abu Dhabi - The hospital was found guilty of making mistakes in diagnosis and treatment of a female patient.

A female patient seeking compensation for a medical error that led to her spending six weeks in the intensive care unit (ICU) was awarded Dh200,000.

The Abu Dhabi Appellant Court upheld an earlier ruling by a lower court which ordered the hospital to pay the compensation after it was found guilty of making mistakes in diagnosis and treatment.

Court documents stated that the woman visited the hospital while feeling unwell. The doctors put her on a treatment which led to further deterioration of health, including a temporary kidney failure. She was admitted in the ICU for weeks and also underwent dialysis.

When her health improved, the patient filed a lawsuit demanding that a medical expert be assigned to investigate and find out about her treatment. She stressed that there must have been a wrong diagnosis and some medical errors in her treatment. The woman said she suffered a lot and almost died because of the hospital's poor treatment.

A report by a medical committee assigned by the court said the medics made a mistake in diagnosing, treating and following up her condition, which exposed the woman to a major health issue that could've claimed her life.

The woman demanded that the hospital pay Dh500,000 in compensation for the moral and material damages she suffered.

The Abu Dhabi Court of First Instance ruled that the hospital pay Dh200,000 to the patient in compensation for the damages. The hospital challenged the ruling to the appellant court which now maintained the first verdict.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi