How on earth can the hospital do this? The first question I asked myself when I came across this report was; what would I have done if this was me? The world of a young girl who was already battling sickle cell anamia has been worsen by an unpardonable error.
Reham al-Hakami, 12, from Saudi Arabia received a blood transfusion on February 12 at the main hospital in her village of Jazan. What was to better her life, rather worsen it for her…Hours later after the transfusion, a medical staff visited her home to tell her family that the blood was HIV-positive.
The potentially lethal mistake has prompted an unprecedented reaction in the ultraconservative Islamic kingdom with angry calls for the health minister Abdullah al-Rabiah to resign. Must he be even called to resign? Where lies his morals and sense of leadership?
Subjects such as HIV and AIDS remain strictly taboo in Saudi Arabia where open criticism of government officials is extremely rare.
Reham airlifted to the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, the Saudi capita after the medical negligence was spotted. It remains unclear whether Reham has tested positive for HIV.
According to CNN, the girl’s family lawyer-Ibrahim al-Hakimi has mentioned that, the family plans to sue the Health Ministry ‘starting from the most senior official and including all employees involved in this medical mistake’ .
I don’t know how its the ministers fault to be honest…. how is he part of this negligence. All the blame is down to the medical staff, and the person who decided to go ahead with a blood transfusion where the blood hadn’t been screened. I mean they realised it was HIV positive after so they clearly had the capabilities to do a screen. The HIV virus has a latent phase anyway so if this girl is fairly lucky and she has undergoes early treatment, she could come out of this HIV negative. But really the medical staff are to be blamed here not a government minister… that is quite absurd.
@dove, i agree with you totally….
THIS FUFILLS THE IDIOM: FROM FRYING PAN TO FIRE. THIS IS A POOR CHILD SUFFERING FROM A SICKLE CELL AND IN ATTEMPT TO RESCUE THE SITUATION, SOME MEDICAL WORKERS WORSENED THE VSITUATION OUT OF NEGLIGENCE. WHILES SOME PEOPLE ARE TOILING AND WORKING HARD TO CONTRACT AIDS, AN INNOCENT, POOR CHILD CONTRACTED IT THROUGH SOME MEDICS OUT OF NEGLIGENCE. AHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Quite sad and unfortunate. Dr miyagi, wen ever u come pls tell us the difference b/w antiretrovirals and HAART. Let’s test ur mbbs or I will also sue u for impersonation