In an unprecedented “medical fraud” case, the Misdemeanor Court has ruled to proceed with the trial of a Kuwaiti doctor at a private hospital. The charges against the doctor revolve around deceiving a patient by falsely claiming the necessity of urgent spinal surgery.
The doctor administered anesthesia to the patient and upon her recovery from the anesthesia, falsely informed her of a successful operation, demanding a payment of 6,000 dinars, according to Q8 Press.
Subsequently, six months later, the patient learned, during a visit to another hospital, that no surgery had taken place. Instead, the doctor had anesthetized her for an extended period.
Representing the victim, attorney Hawraa Al-Habib asserted to the court that this case is an exceptionally unusual occurrence in the realm of medicine, constituting a grave violation of medical ethics. Al-Habib urged for appropriate punishment of the accused doctor in accordance with the Kuwaiti Penal Code.
The Misdemeanor Court overruled the Public Prosecution’s decision to dismiss the case, choosing to reinitiate the trial against the accused doctor. It affirmed that the doctor had misled the patient, leading her to falsely believe she urgently needed spinal surgery, and wrongfully obtained money from her.