Red Tape Kills Patient In S Romania

"An ambulance arrived on location, and the ambulance doctor noted the patient has abdominal pain, is feeling ill but is conscious. His family said the man had not eaten in three days, and was dehydrated. Since the Drganesti-Olt lack a hospital, the patient was taken to the health center in the city, and from there, since there was no doctor on location, he was sent to Slatina by ambulance," Nuca said.

 

According to the quoted source, at 13:30, the patient reached the Emergency Unit of the Olt County Hospital, where he was diagnosed with "2-3 degree sub-nutrition" and the patient was sent to the hospital’s internal illness section.

 

"Here, the doctor learned the patient lacks insurance and sent him back to the emergency unit, where for one hour and a half medical staff awaited faxed confirmation that the patient has medical insurance. The confirmation arrived, and later the patient was again sent to the internal illness section, where doctors set a denutrition diagnosis and prescribed treatment that the patient was supposed to receive at the chronic illness hospital. The ambulance took the patient to this hospital, where there weren’t any doctors, at which time the ambulance crew decided to return to the Emergency Room of the county hospital. At 16:45 local time, when the ambulance crew left the Emergency room the patient was alive," said manager Radu Nuca.

 

Romanian health minister Ion Bazac asked that all results of the investigation in the matter be sent to the Prosecution Office, deputy secretary of state within the Ministry of Health, Raed Arafat, told MEDIAFAX.

 

Three doctors from the emergency hospital were sanctioned Friday evening, by hospital management, following the death of a 62-year old patient who was denied treatment because of health insurance delays.

 

According to Ion Bratoi, medical director of the Slatina Emergency Hospital, one doctor was sanctioned with a 10% cut in salary over three months. Another two doctors received written warnings.