The appeals court upheld the acquittal of a Rivne-based anesthesiologist in the case involving the death of a patient

The Rivne Court of Appeals upheld the acquittal ofanesthesiologist Oleksandr Buchak, who was accused of professional negligence that allegedly led to the death of a 39-year-old patient following surgery.

The tragedy occurred in July 2020 at the Rivne Regional Clinical Hospital. After surgery to remove her thyroid gland, the woman’s condition deteriorated sharply; she subsequently suffered clinical death and died due to severe complications.

The investigation concluded that the anesthesiologist on duty failed to provide timely assistance to the patient and instead sent a resident physician to her, resulting in the loss of precious time.

In June 2023, the Rivne City Court acquitted the doctor due to lack of evidence of a criminal offense. The prosecutor’s office and representatives of the victims appealed this decision, demanding that the doctor be sentenced to two years of restricted freedom.

During the appeal hearing, the court established that Buchak’s workplace was the intensive care unit, while the patient was in a different department of the hospital. It also emerged that at the time, the medical facility did not have a clearly defined procedure for calling the doctor on duty between departments.

Furthermore, experts noted that responsibility for postoperative care rested with the attending physician and the staff of the relevant department.

Ultimately, the appellate court concluded that the anesthesiologist’s guilt had not been proven and upheld the acquittal.

Source: court. 

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