English

Ecomedservice’s license to perform anesthetic and resuscitation procedures suspended

 

The government has terminated the license of Ecomedservice, a large private clinic in downtown Minsk, to perform anesthetic and resuscitation procedures.

On Friday, Alyaksandr Lukashenka ordered the dismissal of the medical personnel and managers of Ecomedservice who are responsible for the death of a young woman, Yuliya Kubarava, following plastic surgery.

Later in the day, the four members of the surgical team that had carried out the operation, and the director of Ecomedservice, Halina Valzhankina, were arrested by police.

In a statement, the health ministry said that the case was considered in the Minsk city healthcare department on April 19 and in the health ministry on April 30.

An inquiry has established that the accident resulted from anesthetic problems, and that the services provided to Ms. Kubarava by Ecomedservice did not meet the government’s requirements, the ministry said.

A working group has been set up to evaluate the compliance of Ecomedservice with license requirements and regulations. The group is to submit its findings to the health ministry before May 8.

Ivan Ryzhko, head of the health ministry’s Main Directorate for Managing Medical Care, has been assigned to exercise supervision over the clinic and make managerial decisions.

For several years, Ms. Valzhankina doubled as head of the Main Directorate for Managing Medical Care and as a manager of Ecomedservice.

Ms. Kubarava, a 25-year-old resident of Hrodna, underwent reconstructive nose surgery at the clinic on March 26.

An ambulance was called for the woman at night, after a nurse noticed that her condition had not improved. Ms. Kubarava was taken to Minsk City Clinical Hospital No. 4. She stayed there comatose for four weeks and died on April 23. // BelaPAN