The family members of a woman who died following routine hip surgery in Dubai said they would appeal against the court judgement as they are not happy with it. The court has ordered the doctor involved in this case to pay compensation of Dh200,000 and a fine of Dh100,000.
In 2019, 42-year-old Betty Rita Fernandes died a few hours after a routine hip operation at a hospital in Dubai.
The mother of two went under surgery to correct a congenital joint defect, but she suffered complications.
Dubai Health Authority, as the regulator, completed an investigation and passed on its results to Dubai Civil Court.
A judgement for the same was made this year on February 16, asking the doctors involved to pay money to the deceased’s family in compensation for the psychological and material damage caused to them.
The hospital’s name has not been revealed, and even the doctor has not been identified publicly.
Earlier, the hospital expressed its deepest condolences and its full support to the family of the patient and confirmed that it was cooperating with the authorities.
Throughout the process, Thomas Lobo, Fernandes’s husband, was present in court. The final decision was made online.
“We were not satisfied with the judgment and hence demanded the verdict,” he said.
“The charged was found blameworthy of gross medical negligence; however, the penalty was only monetary. We expected a more suitable verdict.”
“Unfortunately, there has been no support or contact from the hospital for the past two and a half years.”
“The only communication we had with the hospital was when the CEO met us one month post the death of my wife to explain that they were doing an intensive investigation of the happening.”
Fernandes lived with a displaced hip from the age of two that caused her chronic pain.
Doctors told her a replacement would let her walk and run freely just 30 days after surgery, which encouraged her to proceed with the surgery.