In connection to the previous statement of the Ministry of Health about the directions given by His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, to form an urgent higher committee, presided over by the Director-General of MOH Hospitals, and with a membership of a number of specialists to investigate the circumstances of a woman's death, coinciding with the sudden failure of the oxygen devices, at Hail General Hospital.
The Ministry would like to indicate that the Committee headed at once to Hail, paid a visit to Hail General Hospital and took a look on the file of the deceased patient – May Allah have mercy upon her, as well as the files of the patients hospitalized at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). In addition to this, the Committee met the relevant medical crews, and had a look on the medical procedures and the jobs done by the company in charge of maintenance and cleaning work. And the Committee reached at the following findings and recommendations:
It was not proven to the Committee a connection between the patient demise and the oxygen failure; and it recommended studying the patient's file by a team of specialists at the ICU, to verify of the safety of the medical procedures.
Resuming the investigations and liability of the relevant officials at the Ministry in the district shortly after their return from their holidays.
The committee said the responsibility of the oxygen failure at the ICU on the maintenance company (Snaf Co.) for the absence of the official in charge of controlling and replacing the cylinders, and mismanagement of the company for the hospital as well.
Withdrawing the project from the company in charge of maintenance and cleaning work (Snaf Co.), approving the purchasing at the expense of the company to carry out the contract items, preventing such a company from entering the forthcoming tenders of the Ministry, and circulating that after completing the regular procedures.
The need to review and redress the system of medical gases at the hospital, in a way that guarantees the safety of measures and patients; the Committee recommended tasking the Health Affairs General Directorate with that, in coordination with the MOH Maintenance Department.
Such recommendations were approved by the relevant official, who urged its quick implementation and follow-up. He also gave recommendations to refer the deceased case to the Forensic Medicine Authority after ending the report of the intensive care advisory team, which includes members from the Ministry of Health and other health sectors.