Saudi police have arrested a man for shooting a male doctor, who assisted in his wife's delivery, after arguing that a woman gynaecologist should have overseen his wife during childbirth. Gulf News reported on Thursday that the doctor, Muhannad Al Zabn, had delivered the baby a month ago at the King Fahad Medical City in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.
The man had gone to the hospital to meet the doctor and thank him in person for helping his wife deliver the baby. Both of them proceeded to meet in the hospital garden. During the conversation, the man took out a gun he had hidden under his clothes and shot the doctor.
He then fled the scene while the doctor was rushed to the emergency department and later shifted to the intensive care unit, Gulf News reported. Saudi police later tracked down and arrested the man.
The hospital spokesperson, Bassam Al Buraikan, confirmed the incident adding that the doctor's condition was now stable. He was quoted by Gulf News as saying that the authorities launched an investigation after collecting evidence from the crime scene.
Social media users were reportedly divided in their opinion on the matter. While most sympathised with the doctor and criticised the man, there were some who said that female doctors should always be given priority during childbirth to avoid cultural clashes.
