The Foundation For The Defense Of Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) has issued a formal request to the Minister of Health, Prof. Alexandru Rafila, calling for a comprehensive investigation to be conducted at the County Emergency Hospital Târgu Jiu by the designated control body. This medical facility, which is the most significant in Gorj County and provides services to over 30,000 inhabitants, has been the scene of grave abuses and incidents, culminating in the death of a 16-year-old teenager.
FACIAS has highlighted the tragic case of Andrei Marius Drăgan as indicative of systemic issues within the County Emergency Hospital Târgu Jiu. The death of the teenager, resulting from the doctor on duty's unjustified refusal to perform a life-saving intervention, along with other cases that have emerged over the past four years, underscores a concerning disregard for patients' fundamental rights and a lack of responsibility on the part of the medical establishment.
In October 2020, reports emerged in the media of the suspicious death of a patient admitted to the psychiatric ward of the Târgu Jiu County Emergency Hospital, who reportedly committed suicide by hanging. The hospital management claimed that the patient was "sedated and monitored". In May 2023, the hospital was affected by a major staff shortage, with a shortage of doctors for the cardiology on-call lines, which created significant risks for patients with cardiovascular emergencies.
In May 2024, a one-month-old infant expired following its discharge from the Targu Jiu County Emergency Hospital without a comprehensive medical evaluation. In August 2024, an incident occurred in which an individual employed by the hospital was apprehended for the theft of patients' sustenance, which had been stored in the vehicle's boot. This incident not only exemplifies unethical behaviour, but also underscores managerial negligence. On 16 September 2024, an ambulance crew was observed taking a half-hour break during an emergency mission, leaving a patient on a stretcher.
FACIAS acknowledges the persistent coverage of these incidents in the media, which it perceives as indicative of a pervasive absence of accountability, professionalism and ethics. Furthermore, it identifies a distressing disregard by local authorities and control institutions for the necessity of transparent and rigorous investigations. Concurrently, FACIAS observes that the conclusions of the reports on these cases have not exposed the underlying issues, but have merely exposed superficial violations of procedures. This, it is argued, creates the impression that the actual responsibility is being concealed or disregarded.
In view of the aforementioned abuses and recurrent problems, FACIAS calls for the immediate intervention of the Ministry of Health's control body to ensure transparency and fairness in the investigation of the Târgu Jiu County Emergency Hospital. It is imperative that the competent authorities act without delay to identify and punish those responsible in order to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.