Criminal Charges Filed Against Doctor in Case of One-Year-Old Girl's Death

The investigation into the criminal case regarding the death of a one-year-old girl has been completed by the Tumanyan investigative department of the Lori regional investigative directorate of the RA Investigative Committee. The preliminary investigation has established several circumstances and causes surrounding the child’s death.

Specifically, it was revealed that the girl, born on April 4, 2018, experienced a high fever on March 18-19, 2019. In response, her parents sought medical assistance from the 'Tumanyan Health Center' LLC. The doctor overseeing the child’s medical care, who was the acting director of the health center, examined her and diagnosed her with an acute respiratory viral infection and bronchitis, subsequently prescribing treatment for bacterial infection.

During the treatment, the child's bronchitis was already complicated by bacterial pneumonia, and for a prolonged period, she recorded a temperature of 39.1 degrees. However, the treating physician recommended continuing the treatment without immediate referral to a hospital or undertaking a chest X-ray to verify the existence of pneumonia, nor conducting a complete blood count or any targeted diagnostic tests that might have been necessary, according to the expert’s conclusions.

Between March 26 and March 29, 2019, the doctor did not refer the child to a specialized clinic nor carried out adequate examinations and treatments. On March 31, the child's parents consulted a pediatrician at the 'Alaverdi Medical Center' LLC, who diagnosed the child with leishmaniasis and indicated that she needed urgent transfer to the specialized 'Norq Infectious Clinical Hospital' in Yerevan.

On the same day, albeit with delays, the treating physician referred her to the 'Norq Infectious Clinical Hospital' LLC, where her condition deteriorated further. She developed liver-kidney, lung-heart failure, ascites, hydrothorax, bilateral focal pneumonia, progressive multi-organ failure, and irreversible changes in organ systems. As a result, she passed away three days later, on April 3, 2019, at 1:55 PM at the 'Norq Infectious Clinical Hospital.'

Based on sufficient evidence, the acting director of the 'Tumanyan Health Center' LLC has been charged under Article 130, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code for failure to fulfill or improper performance of professional duties by a medical service provider. The preventive measure applied to him is a signature not to leave.

The preliminary investigation has concluded, and the criminal case has been sent to court with a charge conclusion.