Today Roberto Pais would have celebrated his birthday. And instead the street vendor from Ossi died in March 2020 when he was just 51 years old, he is the first victim of Covid in Northern Sardinia.
On the day of his birth, Carmela Rita Serra, two medical guards accused of manslaughter in connection with his death appeared before the gup of the Court of Sassari. They are Lucio Zirattu and Maria Caterina Cherchi.
The prosecutor Paolo Piras has asked for the indictment of both of them, he is convinced that they are responsible for Pais's death, having not investigated his clinical picture and not having reported the case to either 118 or the Crisis Unit.
The defendants, defended by the lawyers Luca D'Alò and Nicola Satta, asked to be examined. This morning Cherchi answered the questions of the gup, providing his version of the facts.
He said he did not visit the patient at home but only received a phone call from his brother in the clinic. He allegedly told her that Pais had a fever and had started taking an antibiotic one day, on the recommendation of Zirattu. The brother also reported that the patient had come into contact with positive people and that he presented no other symptoms. Cherchi therefore told him to continue with the antibiotic therapy and to call the emergency hotline in case of worsening of the symptoms.
Facts that according to the indictment prove the misconduct of the two defendants. In mid-March 2020 Pais began to suffer from the symptoms of the infection: he went to the Ossi medical center where he was prescribed antibiotics. But within a few days his condition worsened and the family only after numerous requests managed to get an ambulance to intervene to transport him to the hospital in Sassari. Six days later the 51-year-old died in the intensive care unit of the Aou.
In the trial, the victim's family, assisted by Alessandra Delrio, filed a civil action. At the next hearing, on 6 July, the second accused, Zirattu, will be heard.
(Unioneonline / L)