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Will Doctors Be Punished?

October 30, 2006

doctor.gifDoctors' indifference and incompetence resulted into the death of two people in Khobi District this year. Twenty-four-year-old Lasha Danelia died late in May and nine-year-old Natia Kereselidze died on October 22. The doctors, accused for Lasha Danelia's death, were punished. However, we can not say the same about Natia Kereselidze's death.

Lasha Danelia was taken to Poti Central Clinic on April 28 with the following diagnoses: trauma inside eye-socket. Bamboo hit the young man in his eye. Danelia's health condition got graver in the clinic, but the doctors comforted family members. The young man was diagnosed by Doctor Kaplan to have a Paroxysm Neuralgia of Nerve. Having seen the situation graved Damelia's relatives took the patient to Kutaisi Al. Tskhakaia's Medical Centre of Intervention. Though everything was done to save his life, all efforts were late.

On May 22 L. Danelia was already in coma when he was taken to Tbilisi. Doctors had no chance to save him there. The family took the man home and he died two days later.

Lasha Danelia's family has been seeking for justice since his death. They try to find a guilty person. State Medical Control Agency got interested in the case.

On August 24 the Danelias received a conclusion of the agency which stated that the Doctors Bela Kapelani and Manana Odisharia did not have Certificates in the field of Neurology.  Thus their participation in the treatment was illegal. The conclusion pointed to those mistakes made at Poti Clinic - the ill man was neither x-rayed nor was cytological examination conducted. Kaplani's diagnose was considered to be a mistake even in Kutiasi.

Conclusion made by G. Tvalavadze, head of the State Medical Control Agency includes the analysis of professors Dvali and Ingorokva on the fact. They think that Danelia's personal doctor, Tsomaia as well as Kaplani, Shurghaia, Odisharia did everything according to his diagnose. 

However, the Agency has made quite different conclusions - doctors at Poti Central Clinics, Sigua and Abashia were reprimanded, whilst Tsomaia, Kaplani and Shurghaia have been deprived of their doctor rights. Criminal case has been launched on Lasha Danelia's death.

On October 22 Special Commission of Health Care discussed the case at the meeting and criminal case was launched against Ophthalmologist Leila Tsomaia. Despite serious charges against aforementioned doctors, they still continued their professional activity. Marina Ebralidze, Chief Doctor of the Clinic stated that they had not received the final report from the Ministry yet. 

As for Natia Kereselidze's death she was treated in Iashvili's Children's Clinic under Doctor Davit Macharadze's supervision. According to Kakha Kereselidze, father of the child the doctor comforted them, prescribed some medicines and let the girl go home.

On the fifth day the child got worse and parents took the child to hospital again. The doctors could not save Natia.

On October 23 the doctors examined the dead body of the child which showed that Natia had had hidden pneumonia. The fact caused the death. Family members categorically resist the conclusion. They are about to sue Doctor D. Macharadze at court.

In both cases the relatives say that the accused doctors should be punished to avoid other similar incidents in future. Natia Kereselidze's case is in charge of a competent commission, though the family does not trust them saying 'dog would not tear another dog's skin'.

Nato Berulava, Zugdidi 

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