Baby’s body in garbage: Hospital staff given 3 months, lashes for negligence

The Alkhobar police were informed of the incident and a formal complaint was submitted to the Health Affairs Department. (Reuters)

JEDDAH: A court in Alkhobar has sentenced two cleaners and a nurse to 3 months in prison and 70 lashes.
The trio worked at a private hospital and the case involves the disappearance of the body of a newborn. The staff mistakenly threw the body in the garbage thinking it was medical waste.
The sentence was issued after the accused admitted to negligence. The mistake occurred as the nurse put the body in a waste bag instead of a body bag.
The problems began several months ago when the hospital called the father and told him his newborn child had died within 24 hours of birth.
When the father went to claim the child’s body, he was told that it had been lost. The Alkhobar police were informed of the incident and a formal complaint was submitted to the Health Affairs Department.
The case was later referred to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution for further action.
The court referred the family’s damages claim to the relevant body with jurisdiction within the Health Affairs Department of the Eastern Province.
Following it, Dr. Saleh Al-Soulq, department head, issued an urgent directive to slap a travel ban on all those involved in the incident until all investigations had been completed.