Two Doctors Accused in Controversial Maternal Death Case Acquitted

The General Jurisdiction Court of Shengavit administrative district, presided by Judge Davit Balayan, has today decided to acquit doctors Shushanik Bakhshyan and Ani Babelyan, who were accused in the case of maternal death of Mary Margaryan and her newborn child. This information was confirmed to Sputnik Armenia by Karen Sardarayan, the lawyer representing Ani Babelyan, one of the defendants in the ongoing criminal case concerning Margaryan's death.

"Both doctors have been found innocent, and they were acquitted due to lack of criminal composition," said Sardarayan. He added, however, that the court's decision can be appealed in the Court of Appeal, but it remains unclear whether the legal successors of the victim will take such action.

It is noteworthy that the maternal death case stirred significant public outcry; Mary Margaryan passed away on July 29, 2015, at Erebuni Medical Center, although she had been registered at Shengavit Medical Center prior to that. She was diagnosed with HELLP syndrome (a rare complication in obstetrics) and pneumonia. Her newborn daughter also died on July 30.

According to evidence gathered during the preliminary investigation, Mary Margaryan had been complaining since July 23, with a high fever, and had consulted her supervising doctor, Shushanik Bakhshyan. The latter advised her to take Paracetamol. Furthermore, Bakhshyan invited the pregnant woman to the medical center for a routine consultation on July 24 and, despite being aware of Margaryan's high fever, did not admit her to the hospital.

On July 27, when Margaryan was hospitalized at Shengavit Medical Center, biochemical blood tests and other examinations revealed rapidly progressing changes related to the pregnancy. Under such circumstances, an immediate delivery, including via cesarean section, was not performed, resulting in multiple organ failure that led to Margaryan's death. The next day, her newborn daughter also passed away due to pulmonary and cerebral edema.

Doctors Shushanik Bakhshyan and Ani Babelyan from Shengavit Medical Center were accused of showing negligent and unprofessional behavior in their duties, which irresponsibly led to the death of the mother (under Article 130 of the Criminal Code of Armenia).