Abu Dhabi: A doctor in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been convicted of malpractice after misdiagnosing a pregnant woman with lupus, local media reported on Thursday.
According to the media reports, a 31-year-old woman, belonging to South Africa, was rushed to a personal hospital in Dubai in March 2016 after she complained of heartburn, chest pain, swelling of the face and body.
The doctor, a 34-year-old woman of Iraqi origin had prescribed paracetamol to the pregnant lady and she was discharged from hospital after two days. As per her lawyer, the woman’s condition worsened after she was discharged from the hospital and she lost consciousness at home.
“Her maid found that she was in a critical condition, and called an ambulance to take her to the hospital. Unfortunately, it was too late, and she gave birth to a stillborn baby. Medical reports found that she suffered from health complications such as eclampsia and placental abruption,” her lawyer told the Khaleej Times.
Her lawyer, Awatif, told the judges that reports issued by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) confirmed that negligence and misconduct had led to her miscarriage. In January, the Dubai Misdemeanours court convicted the defendant and fined the doctor Dh50,000.
Although the doctor moved the Court of Appeal, her application was revoked, and she was recently ordered to pay an additional 20,000 dirhams as blood money for the dead child.
Awatif also filed a civil lawsuit demanding compensation for psychological and physical damages inflicted on her client. More legal action is underway.