News

The Smolensk Region Office of the Investigative Committee has opened an investigation in a crime under Part 2 of Article 109 of the RF Penal Code (negligent homicide due to professional malpractice).

Investigators have revealed that on 12 October 2016, an emergency medical team delivered an 11-year-old girl to Smolensk Region Clinical Hospital with suspected acute appendicitis. Doctors did not follow the full examination protocol necessary to diagnose acute appendicitis, ruled out the surgical pathology, diagnosed functional indigestion and refused to take her into hospital. On 15 October 2016, the girl with the same symptoms was taken to Clinical Hospital No 1 with diagnosis of acute enteric infection and died there several hours later.

According to investigators, the cause of the girl’s death was acute phlegmonous appendicitis aggravated by peritonitis.

The investigators are carrying out operations to find out all the details of the incident, gather and document the evidence. They are going to assess the actions (omission) of doctors, as well as reasons and conditions that contributed to the crime. The investigation is ongoing.