This case is still ongoing as of July 2016.
Dr. Virginia Helena Soares de Souza, director of the
Intensive Care Unit at Hospital Evangélico in Curitiba, Brazil, is charged with
conspiracy in causing the deaths of as many as 320 patients by ordering them to
be injected with Pancuronium, a muscle relaxant, and in other cases victims
were administered lethal doses of anesthetics, sedatives and painkillers, or
were asphyxiated through having their oxygen cut off.
The Evangelical is the largest private hospital in the state
of Parana, is a private philanthropic institution, but many of its patients
are treated under Brazil’s Unified Health System.
Though the patients were under intensive care, many were
fully conscious at the time de Souza ordered them terminated, according to
prosecutors. Dr. Mario Lobato, was appointed chief investigator assigned by
Brazil’s Health Ministry. Lobato reported that “One was awake, being sedated
but not even connected to a respirator. This patient had asked his family to
bring his glasses so he could do some reading while he was in the intensive
care ward.” In another case the victim had requested a cup of water. “This
nurse testified that one of the things she will never forget is that she didn’t
manage to give him the cup of water because by the time she returned he had
already died.” Said Lobato.
Police believe de Souza selected poor patients assigned to
the hospital by the Unified Health System in order to free beds for patients
with private insurance or cash.
De Souza was arrested on February 19, 2013 along with seven
of her staff, three physicians under her supervision, three nurses and a
physiotherapist. A search warrant was served and hospital records were
confiscated. The charges involved seven recent deaths.
Prosecutors describe de Souza as exercising an “all
powerful” rule over the hospital’s intensive ward. Phone taps produced
recordings of de Souza instructing staff to end the life of patients. An
undercover officer investigated reports of suspicious deaths and recorded her
communications with staff. De Souza is recorded saying: “I want to clear the
intensive care unit. It’s making me itch.”
Previous to the 2013 serial murder
scandal the hospital was embroiled in controversy over financial problems
stemming from the charity that funds the hospital, Evangelical Beneficent
Society of Curitiba. Labor strikes were common and one took place the week
before the police raid that snatched up de Souza and crew.
In June 2013 de Souza was interviewed on television,
stating: “I never shortened the life of anyone. I just practiced medicine
exactly as it should be practiced.”
[Robert St. Estephe]
***
1959 – Evangelical opened, largest
private hospital of Paraná.
1988 – began practicing medicine.
2006 – 2013 – pariod of suspected
murders, up to 320, at Hospital Evangélico, Curitiba,
Brazil; Method: Pancuronium (trademark Pavulon), muscle relaxant.
Feb. 19, 2013 – De Souza, 56, arrested. Three other doctors,
three nurses and a physiotherapist who worked under De Souza have also been
charged with murder.
Mar. 24, 2013 – Dr. Mario Lobato, Globo TV interview. Dr.
Mario Lobato, chief investigator assigned by Brazil’s Health Ministry
Jun. 2013 – de Souza interviewed, TV show Fantastico.
***
[“Polícia prende diretora de UTI suspeita de praticar
eutanásia em hospital de Curitiba,” UOL (Brazil), Feb. 19, 2013]
[Anthony Boadle, Reuters, “Brazilian doctor may be linked to
300 deaths, investigators,” Toronto Sun (Canada), Mar. 28, 2013]
[“Novo laudo aponta que dra Virgínia foi responsável por
antecipar mortes em UTI do Evangélico,” Banda B (Brasil), Jul. 13, 2016]
[Fabio Buchmann, “MP
questiona perícia feita em prontuários sobre mortes na UTI do Evangélico,”
, Feb. 2, 2016]
[Matt Roper, “Is this the most prolific serial killer of all
time? Brazilian doctor accused of killing 20 terminally ill patients and ‘could
be responsible for 300 more deaths’,” Daily Mail (England),
[“Dr. Virginia Helena Soares de Souza 2013 (Brazil), CrimesCentral.com, Aug. 26, 2014]
[‘Serial killer’ probe tarnishes Brazilian hospital,” BBC
(England), Feb. 20. 2014]
***
de Souza, Dr. Virginia Helena Soares
***
***
***
***
[1623-1/16/21]
***
No comments:
Post a Comment