Driving and ¤20kpothaul accused held
Hospital apologises over death of Freda, 76, who lost 17 litres of blood in ‘complex & major’ op
Nebojsa Rasic
A DRIVER who allegedly “dragged” a garda with his van has been further remanded in custody.
Nebojsa Rasic, 25, of Drogheda, Co Louth, was charged with seven counts of dangerous driving and possessing about €20,800 of cannabis on January 5.
He was denied bail a day later and faced his second hearing yesterday before Judge Alan Mitchell at Cloverhill District Court.
Judge Mitchell noted it was a recent matter; the charges were all related, and gardai would have to get the DPP’S directions.
He further remanded Rasic in custody to appear again on January 26.
At his bail hearing Garda Sergeant Niall Carolan said Rasic “made no reply” when charged.
A HOSPITAL has apologised in the High Court to the family of a 76-year-old woman who died after losing 17 litres of blood during an op.
The High Court heard the complex and major “Whipple surgery” was carried out on Freda Fox by two trainee surgeons at St Vincent’s in Dublin.
The apology was read out as her six children reached a settlement of €200,000 over her death six years ago.
The family’s counsel Doireann O’mahony told the court that Mrs Fox believed she was “in the best hands” for the pancreatic surgery which is carried out in cases of suspected cancer to extend life and give back a quality of life.
Counsel said there were complications in the first hour of the five-hour procedure and panic ensued.
She said there was “a surgical catastrophe nobody was prepared for”.
A bleed in a vein was identified and repaired but Mrs Fox went into cardiac arrest. Mrs O’mahony said the surgery was abandoned after four hours and the patient was transferred to ICU where she died. Mrs Fox, from Castlerea, Co Roscommon, she said, was the “heart, light and soul” of the Fox family who had hoped the surgery would give the pensioner a new lease of life.
Counsel added: “Tragically, she never came out of hospital.”
The settlement is without an admission of liability.
In the apology read to the court, St Vincent’s University Hospital said it would like to offer sincere apologies to Mrs Fox’s family “for the events that occurred on September 1, 2017, related to the unexpected death “after the
Whipple surgery. The statement added the hospital “would like to acknowledge the anxiety and distress this has caused the family”.
The case against the hospital was brought by Mrs Fox’s children Paula, Sandra, Vanessa, Natalie, Ray and Padraic over the death of their mother and also for mental distress.
Outside court, Paula Fox on behalf of the family said their mother was so proud to be as fit and healthy as she was.
She added they had now lost all faith in the medical system. Mrs Fox said: “It
St Vincent’s University Hospital was just elective surgery – she was told she would be fine.
“It was just a precaution and just go ahead and get it done.
“We went on holiday two weeks before that and they told her to go and have a great time because after surgery she would be out of action for a few weeks.
“We were preparing to take her home and mind her at home and she didn’t come home to us.”
Asked what the apology from the hospital meant to the family, Ms Fox said: “To be honest it doesn’t mean anything to us. We have lost our mother.”
Mrs Fox’s inquest heard the cause of death was hypovolemic shock secondary to a massive blood loss occurring during the Whipple procedure.
A pathologist told the probe she found no obvious defect in the affected blood vessel but noted Mrs Fox had undergone previous surgery and the gall bladder was removed.
Noting the High Court settlement, Mr Justice Paul Coffey expressed his deepest sympathy to the Fox family.
Apology doesn’t mean anything, to be honest PAULA FOX OUTSIDE
HIGH COURT YESTERDAY