A forensics doctor has claimed that the murdered Polish mayor of Gdansk could have been saved had paramedics not made a “cardinal error” by pumping all the blood out of his heart.
Pawel Adamowicz died on 14th January after being stabbed on stage at the Great Orchestra of Christmas charity – an annual event where funds are raised for hospital equipment.
The liberal mayor’s murder has rocked Poland and prompted calls for an end to hate speech amid bitter political divisions in the country.
Adamowicz had been the mayor of Gdansk for over 20 years. The suspect, Stefan Wilmont, was arrested and is in custody. The mayor later died in hospital after five hours of surgery.
Wilmont, who had just been released from prison for armed robbery, reportedly blamed Adamowicz’s political party for his imprisonment.
According to Dr Leonard Gross, “a lengthy resuscitation at the scene was a medical mistake” and “decreased his chances of survival after surgery.”
Gross told local media: “I am convinced that they made a mistake by carrying out a long 40-minute resuscitation. The nearest hospital was not far away. They pumped all the blood from his heart to the abdominal cavity.
He added: “It’s not like in Tarantino movies when blood sprays everywhere. An injured heart still works, only faintly. Rescuers committed a cardinal error. Even first-year students know it should not be done like that.”
His letter to the prosecutor’s office reportedly contains a detailed assessment of the medical staff’s actions just after the attack.
Gdansk prosecutor’s office spokeswoman Grazyna Wawryniuk told Central European News (CEN): “We are taking into consideration the doctor’s comments and his opinion is very valuable to us. We will set up a team of experts to evaluate the work of the doctors on the scene.”
On 11th March, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, who was previously Adamowicz’s deputy, was chosen as acting mayor.
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Story By: Bartosz Staszewski, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
