A neurosurgeon from Iasi, Northeastern Romania, was fired after hospital managers accused him of performing unauthorized experiments on eight patients.

The illegal experiments came to light when one of the neurosurgeon’s colleagues discovered in a fridge 89 tubes containing cerebrospinal fluid. The containers were labeled with the names of the patients, reports local Digi24. This is how it was revealed that a total of eight patients were used in these experiments, and half of them died.

The investigation started by Romanian prosecutors will determine if the unauthorized study had anything to do with the patients’ death.

Hospital management claims that the tubes were stored in a fridge used to deposit the patients’ food. Over 80 containers were stored in that fridge, 30 samples belonging to only one patient.

The doctor suspected of performing these illegal experiments gave explanations only to the hospital’s management. He told the directors that he was conducting an important study.

“The study wanted to reveal the existing changes in spinal cord injuries. His work contract was terminated because the patients’ agreement was not obtained, now was the hospital’s Ethics Committee informed,” said Florin Grămadă, spokesman for the Iasi Hospital of Neurosurgery, cited by Digi24.

If investigators will prove there is a link between the doctor’s experiments and the four patients’ death, the neurosurgeon may be accused of manslaughter and sentenced to ten years in prison.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Freeimages.com)