By Mohammed Mekki
Okaz/Saudi Gazette
JAZAN — Two newborn babies, a girl and a boy, who got swapped after birth at a private hospital in Jazan were reunited with their actual parents in a matter of two days.
Spokesman for Jazan Health Affairs Nabeel Ghawi said the hospital was fined SR100,000 for making the terrible mistake. He also said the head of private hospitals affairs in Jazan Health Affairs was fired for delaying to take action against the hospital.
The spokesman did not identify the hospital but said a committee of consultants specializing in quality control was constituted to investigate the case.
Mohammed Dhaif Allah Hamdi, the father of the baby boy, said the incident happened about two months ago when his wife gave birth at the hospital the baby was kept in the incubator.
He said the next day his wife was discharged from the hospital and they went home, which is about 50 km away from the hospital, with the baby.
The father said five hours after reaching home, the hospital started calling them to bring the baby back for immunization.
“I started having doubts about the numerous calls from the hospital. I refused to take the baby back unless they told me the real reasons behind their repeated calls. They then told me that the baby they gave me was not actually mine and my wife had in fact given birth to a boy,” he said.
The father said he took the baby girl back to the hospital and received his baby boy, saving the two families from a real disaster. Hamdi said he immediately reported the matter to the Health Affairs hoping that instant action would be taken against the hospital.
“I kept going to the department, which did not take any action for two months and never opened a case,” he claimed.
He said at this point he filed a lawsuit against the hospital.
The department’s spokesman, however, gave a different story and contradicted the father’s claim. He said the hospital was promptly investigated and penalized for the terrible mistake.
The spokesman said the case was referred to the Medical Shariah Committee, which will decide on the private rights of the father.
Asked about the reasons for the delay in taking action against hospital over an incident that took place about two months ago, Director of Jazan Health Affairs Dr. Ayed Abdullah Al-Shahrani said he would launch an investigation.
