Two separate investigations are examining the medical care and supervision given to a 42-year-old woman who died after being admitted to Larnaca General Hospital, as an autopsy of her body was scheduled for today.
She underwent a hysterectomy on 16 January. Two days later, on 18 January, her family was told without warning that she had suffered a severe stroke and fallen into a coma, which her doctors described as irreversible, according to a complaint letter sent to the hospital.
The family has alleged that Georgia contacted relatives to say she had repeatedly pressed her call bell for help to go to the toilet but received no response.
She then got out of bed, fell, and struck her head. Both the State Health Services Organisation (SHSO) and police are investigating the circumstances of the fall.
The complaint letter also states that Georgia had complained of severe dizziness and had asked for her catheter not to be removed, saying she did not feel safe to move.
Police are awaiting the SHSO fact-finding report before proceeding to take statements from hospital staff. Police press officer Christodoulos Konsolos said the investigation is ongoing and expected to conclude soon, and pointed to the results of the autopsy.
SHSO spokesman Charalambos Charilaou told Phileleftheros that an investigating officer has been appointed and “is obliged to complete the investigation within 20 working days, unless he requests an extension, which he has not done so far.” He said the initial recording of events has been completed and that a result is expected by the end of this week. “If it is found that issues arise — disciplinary or criminal — the necessary procedures will be initiated,” he said.
The investigation may result in disciplinary proceedings against members of staff on duty that day, according to the SHSO.
Health Minister Neofytos Charalambides, speaking to Phileleftheros while awaiting the outcome of the SHSO investigation, said he had observed “significant delays in the progress of such cases even when there are findings and they go to court. The hearing of such cases is time-consuming — it can take more than ten years.”
The minister also said there is “an unwillingness on the part of some professionals who, in certain cases, refuse to assist with their testimony in the investigation of such matters,” adding that he was speaking generally and not about this specific case.
“The most difficult part is not completing a police investigation but obtaining the right testimony to bring a case to court. This is where we appear to have some issues,” he said.
Charalambides told Phileleftheros he had received the same complaint letter the family sent to the SHSO.
“I was abroad but on the same day I requested that an investigation be carried out, and I was informed that the organisation had already begun looking into the matters raised,” he said.