Exorbitant blood money claims for “bodily harm” during surgery, that at times reaches three billion rials ($100,000) are made without any basis by patients against doctors with the hope of monetary gain, according to the medical fraternity.
Behzad Rahmani, head of the Iranian Association of Surgeons (IAS), told ISNA that the medical society wants professional security and the right to protect their reputation following a false charge, “since the temptation of blood money has resulted in numerous lawsuits that tarnish a surgeon’s repute.”
In 2014, only 23% of complaints against medical staff were found to be genuine and the remaining were dismissed. “Therefore, the IAS demands that complainants should pay compensation if the charge is dismissed to discourage them from making baseless claims,” said Rahmani.
All surgeries have a number of side-effects which in many cases are a natural consequence. A special commission is responsible to investigate any issue of medical negligence or errors and decide if the post-surgery status of a patient is natural or the result of a medical omission.
He lamented that letters of consent (taken from the patient/family before the operation) have no legal value once proceedings are taken to court. “Medical error is considered a crime in Iran while it is treated as a judicial matter in most other countries.”
Studies show that the health expenditure per capita is hardly $432 for each Iranian while in countries like Canada it reaches $14,000.
“Per capita health expenditure ranks 11th on the government’s list of priorities, so one cannot expect high quality services with the low per capita,” Rahmani argued.
He stressed that patients and their families must be informed of the health conditions that may occur post-operation or the critical risks involved during surgery. A doctor should assess the risk in order to better inform the patient and to allow consensual decisions for procedures to be undertaken.
