Health ministry inspectors go to miscarriage death hospital

(ANSA) - Catania, October 21 - The Italian health ministry on Friday sent a team to the Sicilian hospital where a 32-year-old woman died after a miscarriage of her two twins at the 19th week of pregnancy on October 16, allegedly after a conscientious-objector doctor refused to operate.
    The team includes two members named by the ministry, a Carabiniere from the NAS health unit, and two experts from the Sicilian regional government.
    Catania prosecutors on Thursday placed 12 doctors from the city hospital's obstetrical and gynaecological department under investigation in the case.
    They are suspected of multiple manslaughter in the death of Valentina Milluzzo and the twin babies she was carrying.
    Sources said the move was a formality following a 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 earlier they had ascertained that the doctor who allegedly refused to intervene was not registered as a conscientious objector in the medical files.
    Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin said Friday that "conscientious objection concerns abortions and is not involved in cases such as this".
    Milluzzo died on October 16 at Catania's Cannizzaro hospital, where she had been for 17 days following complications in the 19th week of pregnancy with twins.
    The woman's family alleged that the doctor refused to intervene and remove the fetuses following a respiratory crisis because he was a conscientious objector who refused to take part in abortions.
    The woman was pregnant following assisted-fertility treatment at another health centre.