4 health ministry employees on trial over negligence which led to doctor’s death

Four employees in management positions, all accused, by prosecution, of negligence in adopting safety procedures in doctor’s dorm, where Abu Bakr died while taking a shower

The El-Matareya Misdemeanour Court held the first trial session of four employees from the Ministry of Health on Tuesday over negligence charges which, according to the lawsuit, caused the death of a female doctor in El-Matareya Educational Hospital in Cairo.

Sarah Abu Bakr, a young 34-year-old doctor, died on 13 October. Initial examination did not specify the cause of death, but revealed that a 10cm black mark was found on her left thigh, along with some burns in different areas on the body, as well as dilated pupils.

The four employees were in management positions. They were all accused, by the prosecution, of negligence in adopting safety procedures in the doctor’s dorm, where Abu Bakr died while taking a shower.

Following Abu Bakr’s death, the health ministry released a statement denying that Abu Bakr died due to an electric shock. It asserted that she died due to ‘natural’ causes, after she suffered hypotensive shock.The ministry denied any ‘illicit doubts’ in Abu Bakr’s death.

A lawsuit against Minister of Health Hala Zayed and El-Matareya Educational Hospital director was filed over the death of Abu Bakr.The lawsuit was filed by Ahmed Hussien Mohamed, a Doctors’ Syndicate board member, accusing Zayed and the hospital’s director of“deliberately issuing false accounts about the death of Abu Bakr to mislead public opinion and conceal the real cause of her death.”