HEALTH officials said yesterday that they were carrying out an extensive search for a missing file of a patient who allegedly died of medical negligence. The family of Khadeeja Ahmed Al Daylami, 51, who died last October, had filed a lawsuit against two doctors accusing them of manslaughter.
Health authorities had said that she had died of swine flu after she was admitted to the Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC).
They said that she had contracted H1N1 from a relative who returned from Iran six weeks prior to her death and had recovered.
However, her family are accusing two doctors of being responsible for her death due to a medical error during an operation.
Health Ministry officials said yesterday that they had already notified the Public Prosecution that they cannot find her file and that they were still searching for it.
They said that they were tracking the missing file, copies of which were sent to the Registration Office and other departments.
Officials said that there was an in-house integrated system where one can track down files of patients and review other reports.
They said there was a big chance they get the file from the Patients Complaint Office, but added that their search continues.
However, a lawyer representing Ms Al Daylami’s family accused the ministry of covering up and distorting facts.
“It’s strange that data and patient records saved in the computer are lost at the Salmaniya Medical Complex,” said lawyer Fowzia Janahi.
She had said on Wednesday that she would send a letter to the Health Ministry on behalf of the family if the authorities confirm they could not find the file of the deceased.
With the confirmation by officials that they were still searching for Ms Al Daylami’s file, Ms Janahi presented a letter to the ministry yesterday highlighting the family’s concerns.
In the letter, the lawyer asks how a file of a patient who had died due to human error could simply disappear.
“This file is at the centre of a controversy and the two doctors involved in the case are set to benefit the most if it gets lost,” she said.
“The new development requires immediate intervention and an investigation to be launched on how the file got lost as well as questioning the two doctors, who have failed to appear at the Public Prosecution, over the death of Ms Al Daylami.”
The ministry is being accused by the family of concealing evidence and later announcing that Ms Al Daylami was the fifth swine flu fatality in Bahrain with no action taken against the two doctors on charges of manslaughter.
“Ms Al Daylami died because of medical negligence by the two doctors and not H1N1,” said Ms Janahi in her letter.
She said that Ms Al Daylami’s condition worsened after the two doctors mistakenly pierced a tube into her lung during an operation and the hole proved fatal.
Gulf Daily