Escaped ISIS's horrors only to pass away in the operation room
Shafaq News / Abu Abdullah, a displaced Saladin resident, had no idea that his escape from his hometown following ISIS' invasion would be nothing compared to what he would suffer later: the mysterious death of his 14-year-old daughter Rahma.
What happened?
After settling with his family in Erbil, one of Abu Abdullah's daughters, Rahma, suddenly complained of minor pain in the eyes and pelvis. Her father sought medical care immediately, and that is exactly when the tragedy began.
"Several physicians examined my daughter, and all the required tests were performed. She was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and experts estimated the success rate for the surgery at nearly 60%."
"I took my daughter to Dr. Hayman Hassan for a second opinion. Contrary to all the other doctors, he informed me that the operation is simple and has a 95% success rate because it is merely a lipoma in the brain, and he encouraged me to have it done," he continued.
The surgery day
Abu Abdullah recounted the pivotal day that forever scarred his family by saying, "My daughter was admitted on the day of the surgery. The doctor said he would drill a small hole in her skull to perform endoscopic surgery. A while later, he informed us that my daughter had gone into a coma. Four days later, my daughter Rahma passed away in the I.C.U."
"While my daughter was in a coma, the administration of the private hospital requested me to pay 4500 dollars as a deposit, which I could not afford because I had already spent everything I had. So every day, I paid one million dinars to the hospital so my daughter could remain in the intensive care unit. As a result, I had to transport her to Erbil's government hospital."
Minister of Health's position
"After my daughter died, I met with the regional Minister of Health, Saman Barzanji, who told me to submit a complaint against the doctor who performed the surgery," Abu Abdullah continued, " Indeed, I sued the doctor, and the Ministry of Health assigned a doctor to draft my statement. They promised to take action after only 15 minutes of interviewing me. I was astonished a few days later when I phoned Saadi, a government and judicial spokesperson, who told me that the ministry will re-investigate the issue because the doctor who collected my statement was not a specialist."
"I am still waiting for an explanation for my daughter's death from the regional Ministry of Health. She entered the operation room only to leave as a lifeless body."
Ministry of Health
Shafaq News Agency's correspondent tried to contact the Ministry of Health in the Kurdistan region and the Health Directorate of Erbil repeatedly but failed to obtain any statement.
Rahma's doctor
Our journalist contacted Dr. Hayman Hassan, who revealed information on the operation and Rahma's death.
"The patient developed heart issues as soon as the anesthetic agents were introduced. Accordingly, we postponed the operation and sought advice from an internist, who found no anomalies and allowed us to resume the operation."
"The patient became acutely hypotensive and tachycardic during the operation," Dr. Hassan added, "I am waiting for the decision of the Health Committee formed by the regional Ministry of Health. I will definitely accept the ministry's final decision, but I cannot provide any details prior to the committee meeting and its final decision."
