The Patient Ombudsman initiated an investigation into the violation of the patient's right to health services. The proceedings are related to the death of a newborn in the Specialist Hospital in Kościerzyna. The prosecutor's office had previously initiated an investigation.
“Based on media information, the Patient Ombudsman initiated explanatory proceedings regarding the violation of the patient's right to health services,” Katarzyna Wolska from the Office of the Ombudsman said in a press release.
“As part of the proceedings, we asked Ms. Marzena Mrozek, President of the Management Board and Mr. Mariusz Huliński, Vice-President of the Management Board of the Specialist Hospital in Kościerzyna Sp. z o. o., to respond to the objections raised and to send the medical records of the patient and child within 3 days from the date of receipt of the letter,” it added.
The information emphasized that the Office also asked the District Prosecutor's Office in Gdańsk to send information on the ongoing preparatory proceedings.
“After receiving the explanations from the healthcare provider and providing the medical documentation, the case will be transferred to a consultant with special knowledge in the field of perinatology and neonatology. An analysis of all the collected evidence will allow us to assess whether the patient's rights have been violated,” the release said.
Death of a newborn in a hospital in Kościerzyna
The death of the newborn occurred on April 12 in the Specialist Hospital in Kościerzyna. The prosecutor's office initiated an investigation into the direct risk of loss of life of the mother and child during childbirth, which took place in a hospital, due to improper care.
Investigators will determine whether medical malpractice occurred. As the spokeswoman of the District Prosecutor's Office in Gdańsk, Prosecutor Grażyna Wawryniuk, emphasized on Wednesday in an interview with PAP, the proceedings are conducted in the case, not against specific people.
On Thursday, prosecutor Wawryniuk announced that it is still unknown what caused the death of the newborn in the hospital in Kościerzyna. “After the autopsy, the expert was also unable to decide whether the child was born alive or dead. Further tests are needed, only then will a final opinion be prepared,” she said.