After most of charges been eliminated from the doctors who betrayed their oath in Salmaniya Medical Complex due to pressures on the Bahraini government from foreign countries, fake Human Rights Organizations, and recently the European Parliament.
The truth must be known.
The criminal doctors must at least be exposed to live with shame.
"TIMES OF TERROR"
This is a
personal experience that had followed since the 13th of Feb 2011
until the day of liberation almost after a month.
I have been
working in the accident and emergency department since all these times and have
come to witness many a things. Firstly during the siege of the “pearl
roundabout” there was a great flare up of emotions amongst the staff in
general, in the department. The Bahraini nurses headed by SN Fakhira,
had begun to boycott any relations with sunni staff, sepecially the so called
“Mujannasene” (Naturalized). These doctors and staff had been working for many
years together with a supposedly very healthy professional relationship but
suddenly it was all about sunna or shia. Some of these foreigner doctors had
decided to resign and leave their countries seeing this deep seated hatred
against them. A total of five doctors have resigned so far and some more are thinking
not to renew their contracts after what they had witnessed during the siege.
Many doctors during this time admitted to be volunteering to provide medical
care at the roundabout. Doctors like Bassem Abdul Kareem and spouse Batool boasted
regarding their active participation at the “roundabout clinic” and with great
sympathy towards the protesters. It was supposed to be “the in thing” to be at
the roundabout and whoever was not there was considered to be outsider or drop
outs.
Soon after
the first clearing of the pearl roundabout our hospital came under siege. It
was completely taken over by the so called “Peaceful protesters” both from
within and from without. The hospital police staff had disappeared suddenly. No
security was around. I once saw one police man named of patients seen initially
were only minor casualties but were made to be seen as extraordinary. Media
personal were guided by unknown people to see these patients and were
interviewed before even treatment. I have seen a few patients who were brought
in and were asking for the media personal before their wounds could be treated.
When he had asked for security we were ignored and once also told by the
assistant under sectary for hospitals that they couldn’t do anything regarding
security. Reason had been given that they do not want to get into conflicts
with the protesters. Once two doctors were had witnessed a patient to be
carrying dangerous explosive material in his pockets. They had reported this
but no action was taken. One of those doctors has already resigned and is going
back home after he experienced this horrific incident.
Many times
I was approached by media personal but refused to give patient information. On
the other hand they were directed to specific doctors and staff by the protesters.
Most of them had nothing to do with mass casualty management but were talking
like consultants. What I mean is what does a dermatologist or ENT or hematology
or a dentist doctor have to do with trauma resuscitation? Examples were Dr Ali
Ekri(ortho), Dr Gassan Daif (dental), Dr Samahiji (ophto), Dr Jalil Ashiri
(Hematology), Sn Rula, Sn Zainab; the list is endless. These people were in the
spotlight of the international media who were passing false information. Minor
cases were shown to be critical. And numbers were exaggerated. People were
being made as patients and put on trolleys at one gate. They were filmed and
then moved to the other gate where the simply got off their beds and walked off
moving towards the first gate again so that they could go through the same
cycle again. This for me is just horrible. More so that no one was doing
anything about it.
Protester
number was increasing at the parking of the hospital. There were permanent
tents set up. Some of them were displaying empty shells from teargas and
shotguns. Where the sense in that? Some tents were providing food and
drinks. All meals were supplied to the
protesters from here. The joke is that they were frying fish and sombusa and
making majboos rite there in the parking lot. These places were completely and
always occupied. Early hours of the day were usually filled with staff from
within the hospital. No sense of hygiene or medical ethics was present; both
outside and inside the hospital. All the gates and securities were taken over
by the protesters; they were using high tech communication wakie takies for
their communications. The people who were coming in and out of the hospital
were totally controlled by them. The mob was in total control. There were satellites and dish antenna put up
and also a projector. God knows if these things were stolen from the hospital
itself or not. The sad thing was that many of the faces in the Mob were
familiar. I mean auxiliaries, nurses, doctors, security, clerks … They were all
there. All the people we had worked with for so many years were all there. Who
do you trust now? Can you maintain a professional relationship with them
anymore?
Many people
had called me for medical advice since they were not able to come to the
hospital. Many were denied treatment by the Mob and directed elsewhere. “Go
back to your countries” was told to some. While we watched on fearing only for
our lives if we interfered. The inside of the hospital started to look like
some shia religious gathering point. There was black everywhere you could see.
The people who were in control were clerics dressed in black with black
trubans. Who periodically visited patients and announced that all their
suffering was “Ajar AU Afia”*. Where is the sense in that? They were
controlling were which patients to be taken and placed. Which patients were to
be treated and which “were worthy to die”. They decided who was to be
interrogated and who the media were to be directed to. Total chaos.
Every
evening there used to be great speeches made at the parking. Clerics and
political leaders calling to their people to fight on. Telling them that they
would be rewarded well. Can anyone tell me where are the medical ethics? Where
are the human rights for the people? People were tearing down pictures of our
great KING, CROWN PRINCE and H.E THE PRIME MINISTER. People had thrown then
down on the ground and stomping on them. They should be asked if the same was
done their father’s pictures how would they feel. Where are the medical ethics
here? Why was medical personal doing this? Are they supposed to be civilized
and literate? Why were they chanting against our beloved KING who has given us
all that we have and such a great slandered of living?
I was once
seeing patients who had been brought to the hospital with history of assault.
That night I was posted at a health centre due to some shortage, these people
were of Asian origin. They were with serious injuries but were at the health
centre because they were not allowed to Salmaniya. They ranged from cut wounds
and burns to fractures. They numbered about 20. On inquiring some on them had
had to jump from their buildings since they were told to go to the roof and the
ground floor was put on fire. Where is the humanity here and what so of the
peaceful protests?
Finally I
would like to say what I felt. Every time I used to go to the hospital for
duties I would see my children as if it was the last time I would see them. I
was very scared. I had to park my car outside the compound some times since the
hospital parking was overwhelmed. My friends and family say that I have become
quiet and secluded since the siege. I myself feel immense disgust to what has
happened. I have lost interest in many things in life. I think I am going
through depression and need some de-stressing sessions with a psychiatrist. But
which doctor to trust now. I urge who ever reads to help security forces
permanently at our facility in order to build the trust and confidence we once
had I ourselves.
Thank you
for reading.
*Ajar: A
reward from God
Afia: Get well soon
To be
continued ……..
