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A serious case involving the death of an elderly woman during transport to a hospital has come to light following a complaint from her son, who described the harrowing events that, he says, led to his mother’s death.
According to the son, the woman, who had mobility issues, began experiencing severe pain in her ribs on Tuesday afternoon around 3:30 p.m. Her family immediately called an ambulance, as they were unable to move her themselves.
Family Warned Ambulance Crew
The family told the ambulance crew that the woman was overweight and would require two people for a safe transfer. The son says the stretcher-bearer responded that he “knew his job” and asked the family to step aside.
During the attempt to move her from a chair to a wheelchair, the son claims the stretcher-bearer tried to lift the woman alone. She fell and hit her head on the door. The son described scenes of panic, saying, “My father was shouting, ‘You killed her, you killed her.’ I saw bruising on her lips and other injuries.”
A Second Fall
The family alleges that, despite the initial injury, the stretcher-bearer again refused the son’s help when moving his mother from the wheelchair to the stretcher. During this transfer, the woman reportedly fell a second time, striking the back of her head.
“They dropped her again. She hit the back of her head and remained motionless. She was already dead,” the son said.
The woman was eventually transported by ambulance to the hospital, where, according to the family, staff confirmed she had died during the transfer.
Autopsy underway
The family has filed an official complaint and requested an autopsy. Private forensic pathologist Marios Matsakis was appointed by the family, while the state designated Nikolas Charalambous as a second expert.
The autopsy reportedly found injuries to both the front and back of the woman’s head. The exact cause of death has not yet been determined, and histological examinations are pending. The son, a nurse, stated that his mother was fully conscious and not in immediate life-threatening danger before the falls, aside from her mobility issues and kidney pain.
Police investigation
The police have launched an investigation into the incident. The Cyprus Health Organization (OKYPY) is not conducting a separate inquiry while the police investigation is ongoing, to avoid influencing testimony. However, the organization has begun recording all relevant facts and evidence and is cooperating fully with authorities.
Questions raised
The family’s complaint raises serious questions about the training and competence of paramedics, the handling of overweight or mobility-impaired patients, and potential negligence that may have contributed to this tragic outcome.
The family is awaiting official results from the investigation and has called for the histological examination to be completed as quickly as possible.
