Montevideo, 10 APR ( EFE).- the possibility that murdered by two nurses in Uruguayan hospitals patients can reach only other six victims was seen today with relief by the authorities after discount more than 350 complaints about possible criminal activities of the accused.
The President of the National Board of health (JUNASA), Luis Gallo, told Efe that considering the huge number of complaints they received the authorities about nurses, who confessed to fifteen killings but acknowledged having acted against many more patients, six alleged murders more is not a “large number”.
“The judge already prosecuted them by fifteen cases and our complaint will justice, where the judge will determine if real cases are linked to criminal activities, or are only malpractice, medical error or natural death.” “We see as the number is not so great, in a context of a murder serial with more than 300 complaints, and with only six that could have some link”, said Gallo.
Likewise was expressed in statements to Efe the doctor of Uruguay (SMU), MartÃn Rebella, Union President who considered that “within the misfortune, the welcome that the number of potential victims is less of stipulations”.
Said Gallo, the decision of the Ministry of public health (MSP) of these complaints occurred after a detailed analysis case by case that a technical team consisting of doctors and lawyers made on complaints.
Of that analysis, which focused on checking if the events were linked to the defendants, were only six likely to be crimes, but Gallo noted that the idea of the MSP is to continue to work with other allegations are receiving to see if “they are linked to the facts”.
The past March 19 all Uruguay was shocked when met the nurses Ariel Acevedo, 46, and Marcelo Pereira, 39, were processed by at least 15 cases of “especially aggravated homicide” committed in patients under their care.
The first injected air into the veins to their patients and the second supplied them intravenously powerful drugs such as morphine, fenergan or dormicum.
Both justified these deaths for “humanitarian reasons”, but the judge who indicted them, Rolando Vomero, discarded mobile phones of both were “pious”.
The judge indicted in addition with prison nurse Andrea Acosta “complicity”.
These events triggered a wave of allegations and suspicions about the practices of the nurses who arrived by hundreds both health authorities and the police and that sowed mistrust in the Uruguayan health as a whole.
In this sense, Gallo said that unleashed “psychosis” in the country by these events “declining”, while the situation is still far from “return to normal”.
“Confidence is lost in a minute and costs a lot to mend her.” “We work to begin to gain confidence,” added.
Gallo pointed out that it is precisely the “challenge” of authorities regain the lost trust and look for “minimize the problems that may have the patient safety”.
“Is clear that prevent crimes is impossible, no health care system is prepared to prevent crimes, but yes they are to prevent medical errors and malpractice, and that we work” said.
Responsible for the JUNASA noted also that if well these events “put in check the system”, this is “working well”, not implying let it meet “alarms fired”.
In this regard, the President of the SMU pointed out that the Uruguayan Medical Corps works to regain the trust of society, while recognizing that the event revealed the need to regulate and improve the treatment palliative in the country, as well as review procedures and clarification as to when a doctor has to certify a death and when not.
