Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health launched an immediate investigation on Thursday into the case of a medical professional who was filmed scolding a nurse in a public hospital in Muhayil city.
This came after footage capturing the incident garnered over 300,000 views on Twitter, sparking outrage among users. In the video, the man can be heard screaming at the nurse from behind a closed door. As she leaves the room, he asks the nurse to come back inside. He is said to be an x-ray technician who works at the medical center and it remains unclear why he yelled at the nurse.
Regardless, Saudis deemed his behavior unacceptable and said that no matter what the reason, no one should be subjected to such abuse at work.
Some claimed the man in the video is an expat (because his accent sounds Egyptian) and the nurse is Saudi. This unconfirmed news angered even more people who thought foreigners should no longer be hired in posts where they head nationals.
Amid the intense backlash, the ministry announced it will be investigating the incident. In a tweet posted on Thursday afternoon, its officials wrote:
"Out of concern for the protection of the rights and safety of medical professionals, the Ministry of Health has ordered an urgent investigation into the video that went viral today between a nurse and an x-ray technician who works at the Muhayil public hospital. All administrative procedures will also be implemented."
The country's Minister of Health, Dr. Tawfic Al Rabia, also issued a statement condemning the man's behavior and calling on people to report any similar incidents of abuse at hospitals or medical facilities.
Late on Thursday, investigators on the case met with the Governor of Muhayil, Ali bin Ibrahim Al Falqi, and updated him on the matter.
In a statement to press, he explained that both the nurse and the technician were questioned. He also said that the results of the investigation will be reported to the head of Assir governorate, Prince Turki bin Talal.
The video continues to circulate online
As people wait for what the investigations will reveal, Saudis are still circulating the video on Twitter and the controversy over it has yet to fade.
Here's a little of what people are saying on the matter:
Some Saudis blamed the entire thing on the hiring of expats in managerial posts
"This is what happens when the hire foreigners instead of nationals."
Others were a bit less racist in their responses
"First of all, I thank the person who filmed this. Second, this man has no right to raise his voice on any employee regardless of his post or rank and even if an employee made a mistake. There are other ways to deal with similar situations. Third, we're waiting on what the Ministry of Health has to say about this ridiculous incident."
"Such a humiliating sight. He and anyone like him must be punished"
Some are waiting for the results of the investigation
"There are a hundred thousand scenarios that could've taken place in that room but we only saw what was filmed. I am sure that the entire story is going to come out differently."
Some lashed out at those jumping to conclusions
"Being empathetic towards the nurse without knowing the results of the investigation based on a 14-second video is evidence of unexplainable stupidity. Maybe he did something wrong, but she might've made a bigger mistake that could've cost someone their life, God forbid."
