Saudi Gazette report
MADINAH — Two paramedics who were dismissed on charges of negligence that led to the paralysis of an old man returned to work as if nothing had happened, a Saudi citizen told local daily Al-Watan on Tuesday.
The Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SRCA) in a statement in September said the paramedics were dismissed after neglecting their duties of rescuing an old man who was suffering from a stroke.
The citizen, Shakir Hilal Al-Lihaibi said the two paramedics returned to work as usual despite a complaint against them at the Shariah Medical Committee of the Health Ministry.
He said, his father Hilal Al-Lihaibi had a stroke while hanging with some friends in Al-Dimairiya district in the south of Madinah.
He said his father's friends called the ambulance but when the paramedics arrived, they did not give his father anything except water.
The son said the paramedics refused to give his father oxygen and alleged in their report that his father refused to be transported to the hospital.
He said, they were able to transport his father to a private hospital in Madinah where the doctor told them that it was too late and the father went into a coma and was paralyzed.
He said they had to cross a distance of 150 km to reach the hospital without oxygen or any medical intervention which worsened his condition.
The son said he took his father to India for treatment and added that his father is continuously improving.
"This unit of paramedics should not go back to work until the committee had decided on their case.
Therefore, I ask for investigation why they were allowed to return to work," he said.
Al-Watan contacted the authority's spokesman in Riyadh Mohamed Al-Manna on Oct. 24 asking him why the paramedics were allowed to return to work but he said he had no idea and asked the newspaper to talk to his colleague in Madinah Khaled Al-Sahli.
On his part, Al-Sahli asked the newspaper to go back to Riyadh which is the main headquarters of the authority from which no replies have been received so far.
