Doctor receives speeding ticket after rushing to save a hemorrhaged woman after c-section

November 9, 2009 by Baby Chums
Filed under: News, Weird

Doctor Sherif Abdel-Fattah, 47, was captured on camera speeding at 36mph in a 30mph zone as he rushed to hospital to save the life of a woman suffering from “massive bleeding” following a cesarean section.

Upon receiving the ticket, two days later from the police, Dr Abdel-Fattah sent a letter explaining in writing that he had been “attending in response to an extremely urgent and life-threatening situation that required his expertise without delay”.

Police rejected the letter and ordered him to pay a £60 fine, telling him his circumstances did not meet the criteria for a “medical emergency exemption”. Dr Abdel-Fattah appealed the fine but the police dismissed his explanation once again.

He told Police: “I was called by the midwife at 5am on August 21 and told that someone had hemorrhaged during a caesarean section. There was very, very massive bleeding and I was asked to come quickly. It was a very real emergency.”

Thankfully the doctor was able to make it into the operating theatre in time and help save the unnamed woman’s life.

Dr Abdel-Fattah then received a notice of intended prosecution from Police, giving him a choice of three points and a £60 fine or to attend a driving course and pay the same in costs.

A local newspaper, decided to investigate further and finally Avon and Somerset Police did drop the threatened prosecution.

Dr Abdel-Fattah said:

“I feel that if I had accepted the fine and gone on the course I would have been penalised for a situation I don’t feel I should be penalised. I was doing my job,”

“I am not saying doctors and consultants should be able to do what they want and if I had been driving at 60mph I would accept it was inappropriate.”

In a u-turn by Avon and Somerset police a spokesman said: “A doctor en route to perform an emergency, life-saving, procedure is one such occasion which would require further consideration, and police will be taking no further action against this individual.”