Patient slaps doctor in UAE after waiting for 6 hours, gets 1 year in jail

The doctor sustained bruises on his neck.

An Arab expat in Umm Al Quwain has been sentenced to one year in jail for slapping a doctor at a hospital in the emirate. He was also fined Dh50,000.

The defendant, who admitted to the assault, claimed that the "doctor kept him waiting from 8am to 2pm for no clear reason", court records showed.

He lost his cool and then barged into a consultation room where the doctor was examining one of his patients.

When the physician called him out for the inappropriate behaviour, the man fumed and slapped him on the face.

Staff at the hospital managed to catch the accused and reported the assault to the police.

A forensic report showed that the doctor sustained some bruises on his neck. Witnesses also supported his statement.

The UAQ Misdemeanour Court found the patient guilty of assaulting a public officer on duty and handed him the jail term and penalty according to Article 249 of the federal punitive law.

ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com