Court adjourns Rawda Muaini case

Ehab Atta, Staff Reporter

The Dubai Misdemeanour Court has adjourned the case of young female citizen Rawda Al Muaini, a victim of medical malpractice, until Feb.22 for defence and comment on witnesses’ testimonies.

The case dates back to before April 23rd, 2019 when the victim had difficulty in breathing through her nose. She visited an ENT doctor (first defendant), who diagnosed her condition as having a deviation in her nasal septum and needing surgical intervention and rhinoplasty.

The doctor set an appointment for her surgery on April 23rd, 2019 in a one-day surgery centre, which was not equipped for this type of surgery, in the presence of an anaesthesiologist (second defendant) and an anaesthesia technician (third defendant). Rawda has been in a complete coma ever since. Investigations showed that serious medical errors had been committed during the surgical operation as described by the medical reports attached to the investigation papers. These medical errors caused the victim to suffer from permanent disabilities as described by the Supreme Committee of Medical Liability (SCML).

The SCML issued its final report in Nov 2019 which showed that the medical malpractice that had befallen the victim led her to lose all her mental and physical capabilities and all her visual and auditory senses and to suffer from complete disability at 100 per cent. This would necessitate medical assistance and follow-up and nursing care to be provided to the victim round the clock.

The victim’s lawyer, Issa Bin Haider, stated that the court session was opened in the presence of the first and second defendants and the plaintiff, adding that the third defendant did not appear. The court asked the two defendants about the crime attributed to them and later summoned the witness Dr Abdul Razzaq Al Madani, Chairman of the Medical Committee. The defendants’ lawyer posed technical questions to the witness with respect to the surgical operation that the victim underwent and medical errors that were committed.

The answers given by the witness fell within the medical report issued by the medical committee.

The case was adjourned till Feb.22 for defence and comment on witnesses’ testimonies.