Two patients dead

Accused doctor denies negligent homicide

Two patients died at the Pyhrn-Eisenwurzenklinikum Kirchdorf in December as a result of as yet unexplained causes of death.(Bild: Jack Haijes)

In the case of two questionable deaths at the Pyhrn-Eisenwurzenklinikum in Kirchdorf an der Krems (Upper Austria), the doctor accused of gross negligence in the treatment of palliative patients has issued a written statement. The suspect denies having made any mistakes and is also fighting his dismissal.

In the criminal investigation into the deaths of a 65-year-old and an 89-year-old patient on the palliative care ward at Kirchdorf Hospital last December, the public prosecutor's office in Steyr has still not been able to conduct all of the planned witness interviews after eight weeks. "We are still awaiting statements from medical colleagues and employees of the ward in question," confirmed authority spokesperson Melanie Kurz. 

Written statement
The suspected doctor, who is accused of killing the two senior citizens with an overdose of the painkiller Vendal, has now submitted a written statement via his legal representative.

"He has not confessed to the allegations," says Kurz. However, additional oral questioning is still planned. "He will also face this voluntarily," confirmed his legal representative Alois Birklbauer.

(symbolic image)(Bild: Artemenko_Daria/stock.adobe.com)

Waiting for expert reports
The doctor is still being investigated on suspicion of grossly negligent homicide. The doctor's former boss had - as reported - massively incriminated her ex-employee, who had been dismissed after the deaths. Corresponding expert reports that would actually prove this are not yet available - neither the forensic medical report on the cause of death nor the toxicological or palliative medical report.

Birklbauer: "If it is said that the second patient died from an overdose of Vendal, which would normally result in death by asphyxiation, but the person concerned only died ten hours later, there can be no causal link here." He assumes that the criminal proceedings will be dropped: "I don't see any malpractice."

Interpersonal problems
Incidentally, it is said that there had already been a crisis between the doctor and his boss on the ward in question beforehand and that there had been disagreements. As other colleagues confirmed, although there were tensions, the accused anaesthetist is said to have worked very professionally.

The doctor is also not prepared to accept the fact that he was dismissed by the health holding company: "The dismissal is being contested in employment law proceedings that are independent of the criminal proceedings," emphasizes Birklbauer.