THE tragic death of a 37-year-old Limassol woman undergoing fertility treatment has raised questions about the operation of private clinics amid allegations of professional negligence.
Eleni Zachariou went to a private gynaecological clinic on Monday for a procedure to remove her eggs for external fertilisation. Her family’s lawyer, DISY deputy Christodoulos Taramountas, yesterday told the Cyprus Mail that after the procedure was completed, she lost her senses and was carried down the stairs “from the second floor wrapped up in a bed sheet” so she could be transferred to the emergency room of another clinic.
She died on Tuesday morning and her family is accusing the doctor and the clinic of professional negligence.
Health Minister Dina Akkelidou yesterday confirmed reports that the gynaecological clinic in question had been licensed under an old law and did not fulfil criteria required in more recent legislation regulating the operation of private clinics, but added there were many clinics in a similar situation.
But Taramountas said Akkelidou bore “a serious responsibility now, because the medical services under her were notified of the illegal operation of the particular clinic months ago with written charges.”
Taramountas added that Medical Service head Constantinos Mallis was just as responsible.
Police said yesterday they had earlier this year been asked by the Attorney-general to investigate the legal status of the clinic following a letter from Mallis, but added a second letter from the Medical Services had asked them to put the investigation on hold.
Health Ministry official Giorgos Prountzos told the Cyprus Mail a new law had been passed in 2001 regulating the operation of private clinics. But he added that implementation of certain provisions had been problematic and that clinics had been given until the end of this year to come into line with the new regulations.
He was unable to comment on the status of the specific clinic.
Akkelidou refused to comment on the allegations of medical negligence until an autopsy had been carried out on Friday. The examination was yesterday postponed by court order to allow pathologist Marios Matsakis to return from abroad to observe the procedure on behalf of the family.
But Taramountas slammed the clinic that had operated on Zachariou. “It had an operation room that provided nothing, was an unacceptable space and was on the second floor without an elevator. This in itself is negligence, because professional negligence is the sum of many factors, including all the means one provides to conduct an operation.”
He admitted Zachariou had been aware of the state of the clinic before she went there, but insisted this was no defence for the clinic.
Taramountas nevertheless stressed the need to await the outcome of the autopsy, and would not comment further until he had the results from the family coroner Panicos Stavrianos, adding the police would likewise decide on the matter when they have the autopsy report from state coroner Sofocles Sofocleous.
Akkelidou said new and stricter rules were now being imposed to upgrade medical care in Cyprus. But Taramountas expressed his anger at having to have tragic incidents happen first before appropriate measures were taken.
“I can see that in the Cyprus of 2003, after complying with EU regulations in so many areas, there are still unacceptable situations in the health field.”
