A 66-year-old cancer patient was accidentally set on fire during surgery after doctors used an alcohol-based disinfectant and touched her with an electric scalpel.
The unidentified 66-year-old woman died 1 week after she was burned during the surgery.
The incident reportedly happened in Bucharest on December 22, 2019.
The woman, who was a pancreatic cancer patient, was undergoing an operation at Floreasca Hospital when surgeons used the flammable disinfectant.
Reports suggest that the woman sustained 40 percent burn injuries on her body.
The doctors reportedly placed alcohol on the body of the woman and used an electric scalpel for the surgery. After getting in touch with the alcohol, the woman’s body caught on fire.
The woman passed away from her injuries on December 29, 2019.
The family of the woman said the staff of the hospital didn’t tell them what happened during the surgery, and only said “an accident” had occurred.
The family claims the officials of the hospital never elaborated on the gravity of the situation.
The family said they found out details from the press when they were being broadcasted on TV stations.
“We aren’t making accusations, we just want to understand what happened,” the family said.
Victor Costache, the health minister of the country, said an investigation will be launched for the traumatic case.
In a statement that was released, Minister Victor said, “We hope to learn from this troubling episode. Both myself and the Ministry of Health team that I coordinate will do everything possible to find out the truth.”
Deputy Health Minister Horatiu Moldovan said the doctors should have known that it is not allowed to use alcohol-based disinfectants during surgeries.
He said, “The surgeons should have been aware that it is prohibited to use an alcohol-based disinfectant during surgical procedures performed with an electric scalpel.”