UAE: Medical facility to pay Dh500,000 to woman patient for wrong diagnosis

Abu Dhabi - The hospital authorities intentionally lied to her that she was suffering from cancer.

A private medical facility that had operated on a young woman patient to remove a ‘malignant’ cancer, has been instructed to pay her Dh500,000 in compensation for damages.

The complainant said the medical facility had taken advantage of her good health insurance to make a fast buck. The hospital authorities intentionally lied to her that she was suffering from cancer.

She filed a lawsuit in the Abu Dhabi Court of First Instance against the medical facility authorities and demanded Dh500,000 in compensation for her physical, moral and material damages.

Her lawsuit cited that she was suffering from indigestion and the medical facility authorities initially conducted a medical test and later a doctor, the first defendant, recommended she be shifted to the Department of Internal Medicine for further tests.

Another doctor, the second defendant, told her she was suffering from cancer, and she was asked to undergo a surgical procedure to remove the ‘malignant’ tumour.

She experienced severe complications after the surgical procedure and had to visit another hospital for a second surgery.

Medical reports revealed that her first surgery was redundant, as the diagnosis was deliberately wrong.

A committee, which was appointed by the court to investigate the matter, corroborated the medical reports’ findings. The faulty surgical procedure also led to complications and damages to the complainant’s abdominal wall.

The court ruled in favour of the complainant and ordered the medical facility authorities to pay Dh500,000 as compensation for the damages suffered by her.

ismail@khaleejimes.com

• Abu Dhabi