While in the middle of an operation, a surgeon died of a heart attack while in the operating room. The hospital has opened a psychological support unit.
It is a tragic and astonishing case which took place in the hospital of Aveiro in the center of Portugal. One of his surgeons lost his life within the establishment while he was preparing to operate on a thyroid patient.
Doctor Frias Coutinho, 52, had just smoked a cigarette when he told his colleagues in the operating room: “I have unbearable pain”. A pain in the middle of the chest that left little doubt about its origin. After collapsing, his colleagues and him immediately released from the operating room attempted to resuscitate him for half an hour. But without success, the doctor died of a heart attack.
As his relatives confided, the doctor had complained all the previous night of chest pain. He had taken a few exams early in the morning but the tests hadn’t shown anything alarming. That morning he had operated on a patient without any difficulty.
After the death of Doctor Coutinho, Professor José Manuel Silva, President of the Portuguese Order of Physicians, spoke on public television RTP. “Unfortunately, he passed away in labor,” said the Professor. The situation has been heavy for several weeks at the hospital because of major organizational problems. He acknowledged that “the Aveiro hospital is currently experiencing a very stressful atmosphere” but does not consider that there is a link between the two. “This is a sad coincidence,” he said. However, a psychological support unit has been set up to come and take charge of the staff, very shocked by the sudden disappearance of their colleague.
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