The Bitola Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) has filed charges against five doctors for negligent medical treatment that resulted in the death of a female patient.
Based on the preliminary proceedings and evidence gathered, an indictment has been filed against five internists from the Dr. TrifunPanovski Clinical Hospital in Bitola for the criminal offense of serious crimes against human health” under Article 217, Paragraph 4, in conjunction with Article 207, Paragraph 3 and Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code.
They are accused of negligently treating a 40-year-old female patient at the hospital’s Department of Internal Medicine between May 28, 2024, and June 4, 2024, thereby causing a deterioration in her health condition that resulted in her death.
The patient had presented at the hospital following an examination and referral from her primary care physician, who suspected inflammation of the veins, specifically, thrombophlebitis. However, following an initial examination at the internal medicine department, and without a complete medical history or detailed analyses, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, prescribed treatment, and discharged home. As a result, the injured party’s true health condition was not timely determined, specifically, the thrombosis was neither detected nor diagnosed, nor was appropriate therapy and treatment administered in a timely manner, thereby missing a genuine opportunity to timely detect and treat the thrombotic process, to prevent or limit the progression of that process, and to avert the subsequent deterioration of her health.