Dead Hospital Patients in Upper Austria: Deceased Autopsied

As the spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office, Melanie Kurz, told APA on Tuesday, the accused has not yet been questioned and is at liberty. There is currently no suspicion that the man acted intentionally.

Prosecutor's Office Explains "Escalation"

Initially, the doctor was "only" being investigated for negligent homicide. "The escalation is based on an assessment of the currently available documents and the first written police reports. The decision was not based on a single piece of evidence, but we have formed an overall picture," Kurz explained.

The doctor, who has since been suspended from duty, is suspected of having caused the death of the two male patients with an incorrect dosage of the morphine "Vendal". He is presumed innocent. On Monday, an autopsy was performed on the patient who died last Friday in the hospital's intensive care unit - he was almost 90 years old. A severe skull fracture with brain hemorrhage was found, which the man had sustained in an accident before his admission to the hospital.

"Whether this skull fracture with brain hemorrhage is the cause of death or an overdose of the medication can only be clarified by a toxicological report," said Kurz. "However, it could take four to six weeks for the report to be available." If the suspicion of a wrong dosage is confirmed and charges are brought, the anesthesiologist faces up to three years in prison if convicted.

Second Hospital Patient Died in Upper Austria

A second man, who died in the Kirchdorf hospital in the past weeks, was also under the supervision of the doctor. He too was administered the drug "Vendal". However, the body of the deceased has already been cremated. Apparently, there is preserved blood that could still be examined.

(APA/Red)

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