Cancer patient set on fire during surgery in Romania

A 66-year-old cancer patient died before her surgery due to the negligence of the surgeons. The surgeons chose to use an electrical scalpel, setting the woman alight after her body had been cleaned with alcohol-based disinfectant. The fatal "accident" caused severe burns to the victim's body leading to her death. The incident points a finger at the condition of healthcare in Romania.

The patient, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, was scheduled for her surgery on December 22. During the surgery preparation, the patient's body had been disinfected using an alcohol-based disinfectant. When alcohol-based disinfectants are used on patients, surgeons do not use electrical scalpels.

However, the negligent doctors in the case of the unnamed patient insisted on using electrical scalpels. It is unknown if the doctors were not aware of the use of the alcohol-based disinfectant or if they were unaware of the outcome of using electrical scalpels in such cases.

It is claimed that when the surgeons started using the surgical tool on the patient, her body went up in flames. The Guardian reported that a nurse threw a bucket of water to put out the flame.

Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania, Emanuel Ungureanu, on his Facebook page notified the public that the patient suffered her horrible fate at the Floreasca urgent care hospital in Bucharest. On December 29, Ungureanu notified the public that the 66-year-old patient had succumbed to her injuries and passed away.

A Romanian news site, Hot News, quoted Romanian General Surgeon Mircea Beuran. Beuran told the press that the doctors tried their best to save the woman who suffered 40% burns. Beuran claimed that due to the fragile condition of the woman, she was unable to recover from the incident.

Ungureanu promised his followers that he would be pressing charges against those involved in the incident. He also pointed out the ambiguity of Beuran's involvement in the incident. The doctor's presence in the operating room has been in question since the incident.

The victim's family claimed that the hospital only informed them that there had been an accident. However, the hospital refused to give them any information until much later.

The incident adds to the list of health sector scandals in Romania.