Discharged twice from the San Martino and Galliera hospitals in Genoa after a fall at home, she was left paralyzed and later died. The elderly woman's children, assisted by the lawyer Alessandro Storlenghi, have decided to file a civil lawsuit against the two institutions after a year and a half of unsuccessful negotiations for compensation.
The incident dates back to January 6, 2021. The 81-year-old woman was admitted to the Policlinico Hospital after the fall: tests revealed a dorsal lumbar contusion with a suspected fracture of a vertebra, as well as a contusion of the left shoulder. She was discharged, with a green code, with a prescription for functional rest for a couple of days. That same evening, despite painkillers, she continued to feel worse . She was taken to the Galliera Hospital. There, they examined her and the doctors discovered a spinal problem, requiring further diagnostic tests. She was also discharged with painkillers and functional rest, again with a green code.
In both cases, her children complain, no one explained that she had to remain immobile . So on January 8th, the elderly woman was unable to move her legs and returned to San Martino Hospital, where, this time, she was diagnosed with a fractured vertebra, a destroyed one, and a severed spinal cord. Paralyzed, she was admitted to a nursing home, where she later died almost two years later.
According to the relatives, who consulted a medical examiner and professor in Bologna, if the staff at both hospitals had immediately assessed the severity of the situation, the injury would not have occurred . When contacted, Galliera declined to comment on the matter, while San Martino said they are "as always at the disposal of the competent authorities and confident in the outcome of the civil case, out of respect for the missing woman's family."
(Unioneonline)
