FUJAIRAH // The 14-year-old Emirati pupil who suffered severe injuries in a fall from the second floor of her school has finally been moved to Abu Dhabi for treatment.
Alaa Al Abduli needs to have two operations - in her left ear and arm - and has been waiting since the incident occurred at Lubaba bint Al Harith School, in Al Bidyah, near Fujairah city, on Tuesday to be moved to Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, in the capital.
After calls for help from her family, she was moved on Saturday morning.
“Thank God, Alaa was moved by an ambulance to Khalifa hospital today at 9.30am and they operated on her hand at 5pm,” said her uncle, Ahmad Al Abduli. The operation lasted three hours and on Saturday night she was recovering.
The Ministry of Education offered the family help but SKMC initially told them that there were no beds available.
“Khalifa hospital told us on Wednesday to prepare all her documents to move her there by plane and, when we finished all the needed papers, they changed their minds and told us that they don’t have enough beds,” said Mr Al Abduli.
“We didn’t know any officials and the Ministry of Education promised us to help but we haven’t heard from them since Thursday.
“Khor Fakkan Hospital was giving her only painkillers and IV fluids, with no treatment, as they were waiting for a decision to be made and we didn’t want them to operate on her due to the lack of advanced medical equipment and specialised doctors.”
A spokesman from Sheikh Khalifa Medical City said that they received the girl’s papers but they were unclear, so they ordered they be presented again on Friday.
Alaa was sitting on a small wall between classrooms that had no fence when she lost her balance and fell to the ground at the school. An ambulance and police patrols received a report of the incident at about 9.30am and arrived to find the teenager unconscious.
Khor Fakkan Hospital was unavailable for comment.
rhaza@thenational.ae
