Bitola, 11 April 2023 (MIA) — Only a few weeks after the death of a six-year-old child at the Bitola hospital, a newborn has died at the hospital's labor and delivery unit, prompting the hospital director to resign on moral grounds and the State Health and Sanitary Inspectorate to send a team to determine the causes of the newborn's death.

According to the Ministry of Health in a press release, the team of inspectors includes gynecologists, neonatologists and anesthesiologists. They are looking into the course of medical treatment given to the newborn. 

"The Bitola Clinical Hospital director, Dr. Aleksandar Obednikovski, has tendered his irrevocable resignation to the Ministry this morning citing moral reasons," the release adds.

According to media reports, six-year-old Jana Hristovska died on March 22 in the Bitola Clinical Hospital just a few hours after she was admitted for eyelid swelling, sore throat, leg cramps and vomiting. In their initial statements to the press, her parents voiced suspicions of medical malpractice and protesters in Bitola gathered to demand justice for her death as well as health care reforms and resignations.

The Ministry of Health's Expert Oversight Committee found no evidence of medical malpractice, however. The experts said she had had Covid-19 six months ago and her blood labs showed severe heart damage from the virus.

Another protest has been announced in Bitola on Wednesday, when protesters will observe a minute of silence. mr/