A doctor has gone on trial accused of putting a patient’s life at risk after failing to spot that the woman had an ectopic pregnancy

A doctor has gone on trial accused of putting a patient’s life at risk after failing to spot that the woman had an ectopic pregnancy.

The 42-year-old Indian defendant denied the charge when she appeared at Dubai Court of Misdemeanours yesterday.

According to court papers, her patient, a 30-year-old Sri Lankan woman, took a home pregnancy test in February, which was positive.

A doctor has gone on trial accused of putting a patient’s life at risk after failing to spot that the woman had an ectopic pregnancy

She was referred to the defendant after going to Dubai Hospital.

“I went to the centre and met the doctor, who carried out a scan then asked me to return in two weeks as she was unable to see the foetus on the screen,” the patient said.

She said the doctor prescribed her some medication after she had complained of stomach pains. The next morning, the woman added, she became dizzy and then collapsed.

“I couldn’t move and felt paralysed,” she said, adding that she was taken to Latifa Hospital, where doctors discovered she was suffering from an ectopic pregnancy.

The woman needed an immediate blood transfusion and surgery to save her life.

“The doctor at Latifa hospital told my husband that I would probably die in 30 minutes if I didn’t get blood and surgery,” she said.

Due to complications, part of one of her fallopian tubes had to be removed. The defendant denies the allegations and said she had seen the pregnancy sack during her examination of the patient.

“She did not tell me she had suffered from any kind of pain when I saw her,” said the doctor. The judge adjourned the case to next month to hear from the defence.

ali.shouk@7days.ae