Woman Awarded $400K in Medical Malpractice Case

A Dubai civil court ordered a medical center to pay 1.5 million dirhams ($408,000) to a patient after a doctor's misdiagnosis led to unnecessary high-dose steroid treatment, causing bone fractures and osteoporosis. The ruling highlights growing accountability in UAE healthcare and sets a precedent for medical malpractice compensation.

The case started when a woman visited the medical center to review test results showing optic nerve inflammation. But the doctor misdiagnosed her condition as myasthenia gravis, a serious neuromuscular disorder, and prescribed 50 milligrams of cortisone daily for five days. He then continued prescribing high doses for an extended period without medical justification.

The treatment backfired. The patient developed severe pain and bone deterioration. When she consulted another orthopedic specialist, he discovered stress fractures in her hip joint caused by excessive steroid use. She filed a formal complaint with Dubai Health Authority against both the doctor and medical center.

Dubai's Medical Responsibility Committee found the doctor committed professional negligence with 100% certainty. The report stated he "ignored test results that ruled out myasthenia gravis and continued prescribing high cortisone doses without justification or monitoring for side effects." The doctor also disregarded advice from neurology consultants who recommended reducing the dosage and failed to reassess his diagnosis despite the patient's deteriorating condition.

The patient originally sought 3 million dirhams in compensation. The medical center tried to challenge the committee's findings by requesting a review, citing federal medical liability laws. But the court rejected this request because the medical committee's report was final and couldn't be appealed - and the center never filed a proper objection with the relevant higher committee.

Here's where UAE law gets interesting: The court held the medical center liable for its employee's actions under Article 313 of the Civil Transactions Law. This makes employers responsible for their staff's mistakes during work, even if management wasn't present when the error occurred. The center couldn't escape liability by claiming the doctor acted independently.

For healthcare investors and medical tourism, this ruling matters. The UAE is positioning itself as a regional medical hub, but cases like this show authorities take patient safety seriously. Medical centers face real financial consequences for poor oversight and inadequate quality control.

The court awarded 1.5 million dirhams for physical and psychological damages, plus 5% annual interest from the judgment date until payment. The medical center must also pay court fees and 2,000 dirhams in legal costs. While less than the 3 million dirhams requested, the compensation reflects the severity of permanent bone damage from preventable medical errors.

This case sends a clear message to UAE healthcare providers: proper diagnosis, appropriate treatment protocols, and continuous patient monitoring aren't just medical best practices - they're legal requirements with expensive consequences when ignored.