Conscientious objection was
not a factor in the case of a woman who died in hospital after
miscarrying twins, health ministry inspectors reported to Health
Minister Beatrice Lorenzin on Monday.
Valentina Milluzzo, 34, died at Catania's Cannizzaro
Hospital after the miscarriage of her unborn twins at the 19th
week of pregnancy on October 16.
Her family filed a complaint arguing that a conscientious
objector doctor refused to operate in time to save her life.
The inspectors said they found "no elements that can be
correlated to conscientious objection" in the case. They said
the miscarriage was "spontaneous, unstoppable", the emergency
treatment was "appropriate for the risk conditions at the time
of hospitalization", and nothing "abnormal" was discovered in
the treatment.
Lorenzin last Friday dispatched a team that included two
members named by the ministry, a Carabiniere police officer from
the NAS health unit, and two experts from the Sicilian regional
government to ascertain what happened.
Catania prosecutors last Thursday placed 12 doctors from
the city hospital's obstetrical and gynaecological department
under investigation on suspicion of multiple manslaughter in the
deaths of Milluzzo and the twin fetuses.
Sources said the move was a formality following the
complaint from the woman's family.
The suspects are all the department's staff excluding head
surgeon Paolo Scollo and his assistant Emilio Lomeo, who were
absent.
Catania prosecutors said they had ascertained that
the doctor who allegedly refused to operate was not registered
as a conscientious objector in the medical files.
Miluzzo was pregnant thanks to assisted fertility
treatment.
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