Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Chapter V — Events at Salmaniya Medical Complex
738. The Commission received video footage recording protesters at SMC
chanting discriminatory slogans such as, “Naturalised citizens get out”. Other
video footage records protesters chanting, “Death to Al Khalifa” outside the
emergency room. 348
739. Regarding demonstrations by the accused medical personnel, an SMC
employee stated that one of the accused doctors was in charge of
demonstrations by medical personnel and that he had a close relationship with
the demonstrators. 349 This doctor and others encouraged medical personnel to
participate in demonstrations. An SMC surgeon and two ambulance drivers
provided similar accounts. 350 A clerk at SMC stated that several of the
accused doctors wore badges saying, “Sit-in until the regime falls”. One SMC
employee stated that he heard several doctors call for the fall of the regime.
740. One of the accused medical personnel stated that although medical
personnel did participate in demonstrations, this occurred after working
hours. 351 Another one of the accused doctors stated that a protest was
organised by the medical team on 18 February 2011 to protest attacks on the
medical personnel at the GCC Roundabout and the stoppage of ambulance
services during the first clearance of the GCC Roundabout, but that this
protest took place outside working hours. 352 He confirmed that other protests
did occur, but always outside working hours, except for the spontaneous
protest on 17 February immediately after the first clearance of the GCC
Roundabout amid the rumours that ambulance drivers were prevented from
accessing it. There are several videos of the protests in question, which seem
to indicate that the protests occurred in the SMC car park area and in the area
in front of the Emergency Section. 353
741. According to the statement submitted by the accused medical
personnel on 13 September 2011:
The nature of the marches was completely professional and
focused on the poor management of the disaster by administration
team on February 17, 2011. [T]hese marches were spontaneously
evolved by the presenting medics at the hospital following the
attack on the Feb. 17 morning as a result of the medical
responsibility following the immediate stoppage of the ambulance
services by the administration and the attack [on] paramedics and
drivers trying to evacuate the victims. [T]wo marches took place
in front of the hospital, the first on Feb. 18th and the 2nd was on
348
Video footage received from BCHR.
349
Minutes of court hearing on 20 June in Case No. 191 of 2011 (Military Prosecution witness
statements).
350
Report from the MoI entitled “Samples of some complaints by nationals against doctors and
officials in Salmaniya Hospital regarding withholding treatment”; Interview with the
Commission, 30 July 2011.
351
Interview with the Commission, 30 July 2011.
352
Interview with the Commission, 27 July 2011.
353
See, for example, the video of a protest by medical personnel on 18 February 2011.
YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkufTYgKtTQ and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SD-FP4BqWM&feature=related accessed 19 November
2011.
189