Three physicians and two medical facilities are held accountable for death by a Dubai court. According to Emarat Al Youm, a Dubai Civil Court has mandated that three physicians and the two medical facilities they work for jointly give Dh1 million to the family of a 42-year-old man who passed away as a result of what the court deemed to be egregious medical negligence. The patient sought care at a private medical center in another emirate that functions as a branch of a clinic in Dubai, according to case records. Even though he had a variety of symptoms, a number of clinical and diagnostic mistakes caused his condition to rapidly worsen, which ultimately resulted in his death a few days later.
According to a study by the Higher Medical Liability Committee, all three physicians’ care fell short of accepted medical standards due to “gross ignorance of fundamental medical principles” and significant shortcomings in both diagnosis and follow-up care. Each doctor was given a precise degree of fault in the study, which included highlighted blatant professional infractions. The defendants contended during the proceedings that the lawsuit should be dismissed due to lack of legal standing and asked that the file be sent back to the committee for additional consideration, which would include a site visit and a reevaluation of the patient’s medical file. Additionally, they argued that there was insufficient evidence to establish causation, arguing that the patient had an aggressive type of cancer that may have been fatal even in the absence of prompt treatment.
The court dismissed all arguments and decided that the earlier criminal verdict, which verified the medical errors, is still enforceable in civil proceedings. It said that because the committee’s report was founded on solid scientific evidence, it is final and cannot be reexamined. The court determined that all requirements for civil culpability were met: the patient’s death and the loss of the family’s only provider established the damage, the error was demonstrated by expert conclusions, and there was a causal link between the tragic outcome and the misdiagnosis. Because the medical errors happened under their supervision and while they were employed, the two medical centers were held jointly accountable as employers.
The medical centers shared liability proportionately, with Dh400,000 going to the first doctor, Dh350,000 going to the second, and Dh250,000 going to the third. Additionally, all defendants were mandated to pay court costs and attorney fees. According to the court, the compensation is intended to make up for the victim’s family’s material and psychological losses.
