The Foundation For The Defense Of Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) has issued a condemnation of the Romanian authorities, citing their apparent lack of response to the unfortunate incident involving Andrei, a 16-year-old adolescent who tragically lost his life due to untreated peritonitis at the County Emergency Hospital Targu Jiu. For a period of approximately six months, the criminal case has been subject to protracted proceedings, the forensic examinations have been subject to unnecessary delay, and the life of a child has been "redeemed" through the imposition of symbolic and mocking sanctions. In contemporary Romania, the value assigned to the life of a child is evidenced by a pervasive culture of warnings, silence and passivity.
In a case that should be subject to criminal investigation for homicide, the authorities have chosen to treat the loss of a child's life as a simple administrative error. Following a protracted period of deliberation, the Disciplinary Investigation Commission of the Târgu Jiu County Emergency Hospital has determined that there has been a grave infringement on the part of the medical personnel involved. It is evident that Liliana Puiu Crăciun, a specialist in emergency medicine, failed to record the patient's temperature in the UPU chart, the time of the request for the surgical consultation, and the necessity for specialist consultations. This constitutes a clear disregard for established procedures and legal obligations. Furthermore, the subject did not inform the on-duty medical professionals, who were located a mere two kilometres away, about the teenager's condition. This omission resulted in the teenager receiving no comprehensive evaluation and no opportunity for medical intervention. Furthermore, the head of the UPU-SMURD did not intervene, despite having the legal responsibility to do so. Additionally, surgeon Valentin Neagu declined to perform the operation on the child, despite the explicit legal stipulation that patients between the ages of 15 and 21 years are entitled to medical care in any healthcare facility.
In light of such egregious misconduct, the sanctions imposed by the Disciplinary Investigation Commission of the Targu Jiu County Emergency Hospital appear to be a blatant disregard for both the principles of justice and the memory of Andrei. Emergency medicine specialist Liliana Puiu Crăciun and on-call surgeon Valentin Neagu received a mere 10% salary reduction for a period of three months, in addition to a financial penalty of 3,000 lei each. Conversely, the head of the UPU-SMURD was merely issued with a written warning. It is a matter of concern that the sanctioned medical practitioners in question continue to practice at the same medical facility, despite the fact that their negligence resulted in the death of a child.
FACIAS has asserted that the demise of Andrei was not an accident, but rather the direct consequence of negligence and a sequence of medical violations. For an extended period, the criminal case file has been subject to protracted inter-institutional proceedings, involving various entities such as the Prosecutor's Office, the Court, and the Gorj County Police Inspectorate, yet no resolution has been reached. The histopathological expertise was concluded at a late stage, and on this occasion, the toxicological expertise was not provided. FACIAS has expressed its intention to cover these costs from its own funds in order to unblock the criminal investigation, but the authorities have refused to accept this.
FACIAS has called for the immediate prosecution of those responsible. The notion that the value of a child's life should be equated with a 10% remuneration reduction and an administrative penalty is nothing short of preposterous. FACIAS will not acquiesce to the prevailing institutional silence and complicity surrounding this tragedy. It is imperative that the truth be revealed and that those found guilty of a particular crime be duly punished. The state is obliged to protect its citizens; it is not at all its role to mask the failings of the system.