"The urologist from Balti, sentenced to two years in prison for malpractice, prioritized his own interests over providing proper treatment to a patient, thus committing obvious violations in delivering medical care." This is the opinion of the wife of the deceased Vitalie Spatari, who was the patient of the accused doctor. Mariana Spatari spoke at a press conference organized by the IPN news agency, sharing what she considers to be "irregularities that led to criminal acts" and, ultimately, the death of her husband.
According to Mariana Spatari, in the autumn of 2019, her husband, "a healthy man," was "buried alive by doctor Sergiu Cozub." The patient was admitted to the Balti Clinical Hospital on September 11, 2019, initially in the trauma department, and later, based on test results, was transferred to the urology department with a kidney and liver contusion and a hematoma on the right side, according to the attending physician. The doctor confirmed in court that, upon admission, there was no immediate danger to the patient's life. At that time, he was very weak and had a fever, but after his condition worsened, the doctors decided to perform surgery without notifying the patient or his family, as stated by Mariana Spatari.
Mariana Spatari recounted that, on the night of September 21–22, her husband's condition deteriorated, with abdominal and chest pain. Despite numerous requests to take appropriate action, the attending doctor showed indifference to the patient and delayed transferring him to a medical institution in Chisinau. Eventually, the doctor complied, and the patient, already in critical condition, was transferred to the Emergency Medicine Institute, where he received medical care.
After the necessary medical tests were conducted, the severity of the situation became clear, and surgery was decided. Following the surgery, the anesthesiologist reported an abdominal infection, resulting from the procedure performed in Balti and the incorrect treatment, as mentioned by the patient’s wife. She pointed out that the anaerobic infection was known at the Balti Hospital, but the attending doctor did not take the necessary actions. On September 25, the wife was asked to "consent to placing her husband in a medically induced coma to better tolerate the treatment." On October 5, 2019, the patient passed away.
Mariana Spatari praised the professionalism of the doctors at the Emergency Medicine Institute for their efforts to save her husband's life.
Mariana Spatari stated that, according to the forensic medical expert’s report, during his hospitalization at the Balti hospital, the patient’s general condition was underestimated, and not all available clinical and paraclinical diagnostic methods were applied. The treatment tactics at Balti hospital were initially incorrect, but acceptable for the first 3-5 days. After that, the true cause of the infectious process should have been identified. The surgery was delayed, allowing the process to spread, Mariana Spatari explained.
The wife of the deceased claimed that she requested the suspension of the attending doctor, but the hospital management refused, "becoming accomplices in the commission of such a crime with doctor Cozub." Mariana Spatari further stated that "Sergiu Cozub has caused the deaths of several patients, and the management of the Balti Clinical Hospital tolerates and covers up crimes related to violations of medical assistance methods and procedures."
Note: The IPN news agency offers the right to reply to individuals who believe they have been affected by the news based on statements made during the press conference, including facilitating the organization of another press conference under similar conditions.
