Paralysed Emirati woman injured as a result of negligence, court hears

ABU DHABI // A paralysed patient suffered burns in her back and foot after a nurse left hot water pouring on the bed while bathing her, Bani Yas Misdemeanor Court heard.

The nurse, J A – a 26-year-old from the Philippines – is accused of injuring the Emirati patient, M O, 58, while bathing her.

M O suffered second degree burns in her lower back, left foot, breast and groin and underwent cosmetic surgery to repair the damage.

The incident occurred at the Cambridge Medical Centre in Shakhbout City.

M O was unable to feel the hot water burning her skin due to paralysis.

According to the medical centre’s British head of operations, M H, M O was on the bathing bed and the nurse then put the water hose on the side of the bed and went to turn off the heater and adjust the temperature.

“They flipped the patient to the other side to continue the bathing process and noticed redness in the ankle area and lower back, so the nurse covered the patient and called the supervisor.”

The doctors set a treatment plan for M O. A doctor at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City said she was suffering superficial burns.

M H added that a technical team examined the water heater and they discovered that it was set on hot temperature, so they adjusted it to medium.

“The patient’s son, O, had changed the water hose without the approval of the centre,” she said.

O, however, said he added a filter to the hose, “because hospital water is filled with chlorine, and it has nothing to do with the temperature”.

He said he wanted to accuse the entire team of nurses who were in charge of his mother and the management team.

Public prosecution charged J A alone with the error.

J A reportedly accepted responsibility.

The case continues.

hdajani@thenational.ae