Girl dies in hospital Threats against chief physician at Cologne University Hospital
Köln · Following the death of a young girl at Cologne University Hospital, 200 family members gathered in front of the hospital to demand an examination of the body. A major police operation resulted.
Cologne police are investigating a man who made death threats against a chief physician at Cologne University Hospital last Friday evening. Around 200 members of an extended Serbian family gathered in front of the hospital, a few becoming verbally aggressive. The reason for the uproar was the death of the man’s daughter due to complications following a surgery.
A member of the family told the Kölner Express newspaper that the girl had undergone several heart operations. According to the relatives, a doctor announced after the surgery that everything had gone well. But complications arose and the girl died. The surgery took place on Wednesday, and on Thursday, the girl was declared brain-dead, said police spokesman Christoph Gilles in responding to a GA inquiry.
On Thursday, the chief physician informed the father about his daughter being declared brain-dead. While the chief physician heads up the operating room team, he was not there at the time of the surgery. Family members arrived at the hospital and were gathered in the hallway where the the girl’s room was located. After that, according to police, the father made a death threat against the chief physician. More and more people gathered in front of the hospital on Friday afternoon. Many were there to grieve, but according to Gilles, there were insults and accusations hurled at the doctor.
Prosecutor's office investigating
Contrary to many media reports, only the girl's father threatened the doctor with death. While he made the threats, it did not come to any physical altercation. "We had no choice but to immediately inform the police," said the deputy spokesperson of the University Hospital, Christoph Wanko.
There was a major police operation at the scene to try to calm the situation. At Cologne University Hospital, they spoke of an “exceptional situation.” "We regularly deal with people in fateful situations who can quickly become emotional," says Wanko. "We understand that. However, in this extreme case the line was crossed. "
The public prosecutor's office was sent all the hospital documents and police investigative material, to determine why the girl died. It must also be decided whether an autopsy should be performed.
(Orig. text: Felix Schröder / Translation: ck)
