An order of investigator Nadezhda Subbotina on indictment of obstetrician-gynaecologist of Dzerzhinsky perinatal center which conducted Cesarean operation on the woman in labour came into disposal of the lawyers working with the INGO «The Committee Against Torture».
(Photo: Denis Fomin and Irina Fomina)
As we have previously reported, on 12 October 2014 Denis Fomin from Dzerzhinsk applied to Nizhny Novgorod office of the Committee Against Torture for legal support – he believed that his wife died shortly after childbirth due to medical malpractices.
Denis explained that his wife’s pregnancy developed normally and nothing foreboded the tragedy. Not least because Dzerzhinsky perinatal center, where his wife was giving birth, meets all modern standards. However, on the morning after the childbirth, when Denis called the doctors on the phone, they informed him that on 30 June 2014 his wife underwent the Cesarian operation. No-one informed him about the complications which developed after that. At noon of the same day when Denis telephoned the maternity clinic he was told that the young mother and the baby were feeling fine and were having rest.
According to Denis, he and his relatives tried to reach Irina on the phone, but in vain – her mobile phone was switched off. Irina’s mother went to the maternity clinic and witnessed her daughter in the state of unconsciousness being taken to the ambulance in order to be transported to the Emergency Care Hospital. After two days Irina was transferred to Nizhny Novgorod Regional Hospital named after Semashko. Doctors of this medical establishment were struggling to save the young woman’s life for almost two weeks, but on 16 July 2014 she died.
As the experts established later, Irina Fomina died due to acute cerebrovascular disorder, developed due to massive blood loss.
On 5 August 2014 a criminal case was opened over the fact of Irina’s death under part 2 Article 109 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (infliction of death by negligence in consequence of improper performance of professional duty). Denis was qualified as the victim party.
On 20 April 2015 investigator of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Nizhny Novgorod region Nadezhda Subbotina issued an order on indictment of obstetrician-gynaecologist of Dzerzhinsky perinatal center state-financed health institution having charged her with committing a crime under part 2 Article 109 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
Head of the investigative department of Nizhny Novgorod office of the Committee Against Torture Dmitry Utukin, representing the interests of Denis Fomin: «One cannot but point out the professional work of investigator Nadezhda Subbotina, since investigating such cases is very difficult due to their specific nature. For example, there are only few cases on medical malpractice in which actual charges were brought. Investigator Subbotina commissioned forensic medical examination in the Republic of Tatarstan straight away, in order to exclude any possibility of biased approach at the local level. In our turn, the lawyers involved in the case in the capacity of the affected party’s representatives, have elaborated a number of additional questions to the experts, timely answers to which allowed reviewing the scope of charges. We hope that in the nearest future the case will be taken to court».