13 suspects in Salt hospital deaths case plead not guilty

AMMAN — Thirteen people, standing trial at the Amman Court of First Instance on charges of causing the death of seven patients in connection with the New Salt Public Hospital oxygen outage earlier this month, on Sunday pleaded not guilty during their opening trial.

The 13 suspects, including two who were tried via live TV feed because they were infected with the coronavirus, were charged with seven counts of causing death by association and for violating articles 343 and 76 of the Penal Code.

Among the defendants standing trial were the secretary general of the Ministry of Health, assistant secretary general for Health and Technical Affairs, assistant secretary general for Services Affairs, and the director of the Biomedical Engineering Department.

The court also rejected the defence team’s request to release their clients on bail and instead ordered that they remain detained for an additional week.

The court designated Sundays and Wednesdays to hear over 70 witnesses and experts who are expected to testify on matters related to prior knowledge of the Prevention Department in the Civil Defence Department, the contents of the hospitals and staff cameras, duration of oxygen disruption, functionality of the gas system, the deteriorating health status of the patients affected, chest diseases, Building Management System (BMS), and government autopsies results.

The prosecution office has indicated in its investigation that all defendants failed to follow proper caution and consideration of laws and regulations, whether they were from the Ministry of Health or affiliated with the hospital administration.

This, according to the prosecution office, resulted in an oxygen outage at the ICU for around one hour, which ultimately resulted in several deaths and further health complications to the patients who were at the unit on March 13.

Government health officials confirmed that all the deceased in this incident were COVID-19 patients and all were above 40 years old.

The next court hearing is slated for March 31 when the prosecution is expected to summon several witnesses to testify in the case.

The incident sparked outrage within the Jordanian community and prompted His Majesty King Abdullah to visit the hospital as soon as the news of the oxygen outage was reported.

A video circulated on social media platforms showed a visibly angry King denouncing the incident and expressing dismay over the medical tragedy. Another video showed people outside the hospital calling on His Majesty to hold those responsible for the medical negligence accountable. 

Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Bisher Al Khasawneh also ordered an immediate investigation into the oxygen supply disruption at the Salt Public Hospital on the same day, while pledging that the investigation will be “clear, transparent and comprehensive, and that all details will be disclosed to the public”.

The premier also affirmed during a Parliament session that the government bears responsibility for the New Salt Public Hospital incident, stressing the Cabinet’s keenness to address the causes of the accident and avoid its recurrence.