Dubai teacher loses leg to botched surgery

A Brit teacher, who lost one leg after a knee surgery at one of Dubai hospitals went terribly wrong, is now fighting for compensation.

Trish Fraser, who works at Emirates International School, filed a complaint with Dubai Health Authority (DHA) against Medcare Hospital. After months of investigation, a committee set up to explore the claim upheld the allegations of negligence and malpractice, reported '7Days'.

Meanwhile, one of the two suspended surgeons who operated on Fraser have returned to work.

Fraser checked into Medcare Hospital, near Safa Park, for a joint replacement in her left knee last April. A major artery was damaged during the routine operation, cutting off the blood supply to her lower limb. And the mistake was not discovered until 24 hours later, by which time the tissue was dead and her leg had to be amputated. Soon after the stump became infected with gangrene and another operation followed to remove more tissue.

As a result Fraser now is permenantly disabled, is in constant pain, suffers from  phantom limb syndrome and needs home care. Fraser said: “I try to stay positive and I have good and bad days. But the fact is my life has been changed for ever by what happened at that hospital. We are shouldering a huge financial burden.”

Fraser and her husband Alistair have spent more than Dh400,000 on prosthetic limbs and treatment.

Head of the DHA’s Clinical Governance Office, Dr Layla Mohamed Al Marzouqi, said the department does not award compensation but does provide evidence to courts for such cases. “Patients are entitled to take the case to the courts and pursue this,” she said. “I advised Trish to do that as soon as possible.”

Both surgeons were ordered by the DHA to go through a revaluation assessment - a verbal test of knowledge and skills - and a thorough background check. One of the doctors has passed these checks and been allowed returned to work. The other is still undergoing assessment.  Medcare Hospital declined to comment.