Teacher diagnosed with gallstones dies days after surgery; family suspects malpractice

AMMAN — Mesleh Abu Ghalyoun went to hospital last month suffering from “mild” pains, but left with a “severe” tear in the duodenum that caused his death, his brother, Saleh, said.

On May 24, the 42-year-old teacher felt abdominal pain, prompting him to go to the Jamil Totanji Hospital, according to Saleh.

“He went to hospital driving and not in an ambulance,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone on Monday.

The teacher was diagnosed with gallstones and surgery was performed to remove them.

“The following day, Mesleh was doing well and the doctor told him to eat and drink liquids as normal,” his brother said, adding that he drank a glass of milk.

Later, the teacher started to feel “unbearable” pain and his stomach swelled up.

“It was then discovered that his duodenum was ruptured in several locations, causing infection and ulcers,” said Saleh, who suspects malpractice.

“I asked several doctors about the ruptures and they told me it seemed that the hand of the surgeon who performed the operation was not steady,” he claimed.

Mesleh was scheduled for another surgery after five days, but was then referred to Al Bashir Hospital, where the doctor informed his family that the staff at Totanji hospital transferred him too late.

“Doctors at Al Bashir Hospital maintained that Mesleh suffered severe ruptures in the duodenum and a syllabic cut in the liver,” his brother said.

For the next 15 days, the teacher was in a coma and had high fever before he died on June 15.

“The cause of death was blood poisoning [sepsis] caused by previous surgeries,” Saleh said.

The deceased teacher was the sole provider for his pregnant wife and five children, a divorced sister, and widowed sister with two daughters, including one with a disability.

Following his death, the Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) decided to follow up on the case.

“We are taking the necessary preparations to file a lawsuit against Jamil Totanji Hospital and the Health Ministry,” Mahmoud Jbour, a member of the JTA council, told The Jordan Times, noting that he knew Mesleh.

“He was a very simple, well-mannered person who was struggling to make ends meet,” Jbour said.

The Health Ministry has formed a committee to investigate the issue.

Officials at Jamil Totanji Hospital were not available for comment.

The teacher’s brother noted that the family will not forfeit its right to know the reason behind his death.

“Having your brother healthy and going to the hospital... then dying this way is a huge shock that we will never overcome,” he said.