Patient's woes: Wrong diagnosis

Parents of a seven-year-old Iraqi boy said their son was left in a critical condition after a doctor wrongly diagnosed his appendix problem as gastro enteritis.

On April 22, seven-year-old Haider Qabbani was taken to the GMC Hospital in Ajman after he complained of a severe stomach ache and vomiting. The boy was given an anti-vomit injection and duly discharged. But the very next day Haider had to be rushed to the hospital and operated upon for a ruptured appendix.

Doctor’s negligence

Nasser Qabbani, 35, the child’s father claimed that the doctor did not conduct any tests on his son when they first visited him and discharged him without keeping him under observation.

And he said the hospital told him they would operate on the child only after Qabbani paid the deposit. "I was shocked when I was informed that the surgery would take place only after I paid the deposit amount of Dh3,500. I was in Dubai and pleaded with them to conduct the surgery as I was stuck in traffic," said Qabbani.

"My child’s face had turned black and he was in terrible pain. If the doctor had diagnosed his condition correctly, my son would not have had to fight for his life."

Hospital’s assurance

Meanwhile, Qabbani claims that hospital officials assured him that the doctor who made the mistake would be punished with a heavy salary deduction. The bill amount was also reduced from Dh11,391 to Dh7,891. "The hospital admitted their mistake and reduced part of the bill amount," said Qabbani. "But is this the cost of human life?"

However, Dr Essam Atta, Assistant Manager, GMC Hospital, said, "The discount was offered on humanitarian grounds. It does not mean we are admitting to any medical error."

"The appendix did not burst; it had oozed. The patient complained of abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting, which are symptoms of gastro-enteritis. Blood tests and X-rays are not effective in appendix cases. Clinical exams and rebound tenderness are the ways to diagnose an appendix problem, which were conducted by the hospital."

Authority speak

Haider Qabbani has filed a complaint with the Ministry of Health against GMC Hospital, where his son’s appendix was wrongly diagnosed as gastro-enteritis. Hamad Taryam, Director General of Ajman Medical Zone and Shaikh Khalifa Hospital Ajman, said, "We will form a committee and take a decision according to the report. We are the authorised entity to keep a check on all private hospitals, clinics and pharmacies in Ajman and we will certainly look into the matter. The problem we face is that many people don’t report medical errors."