Student's death of botulism considered by court in KBR

At the trial of the case of the death of a student Radima Ezieva of botulism, colleagues of the defendant - Murat Bereketov, a physician of the Urvan District Hospital, - spoke in his defence. His advocate also thinks other doctors at the hospital should also respond for the girl's death.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Radima Ezieva, a student of the Kabardino-Balkarian State Agrarian University, died on October 30, 2011. Then, 48 students and teachers of the University were hospitalized with symptoms of poisoning and diagnosed "botulism".

The investigation of the case was completed on March 11; and the charge was presented to Murat Bereketov, the head of the neurology unit of the Urvan District Hospital, under Part 2, Article 109 of the Russian Criminal Code (causing death by negligence due to improper performance of one's professional duties shall be punished by restriction of freedom for up to three years). According to investigators, experts of the forensic medical examination of the Ministry of Public Health of the KBR have concluded that Ezieva could have been saved by timely and appropriate treatment.

According to Aslan Eziev, Radima Ezieva's father, during the first session of the Urvan District Court on April 11 the hospital doctors, who figure in the case as witnesses, spoke in defence of Bereketov.

"On that day Bereketov didn't really work on the schedule; he received patients on the paid basis; however, he took Radima and then repeatedly said that he was responsible for the girl. If he had told to other doctors or go to another hospital, they would have been no claims to him," Aslan Eziev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Murat Bereketov is accused of negligence, said his advocate Timur Lakunov: "What kind of negligence can we talk about, if his working day ended at 3:00 p.m.; and the girl was admitted at 6:00 p.m."

According to the advocate, Radima's relatives asked Bereketov to examine the girl. "When Bereketov saw the condition of the girl, he hospitalized her. Then he left, and in the days that followed he had his days-off," said Lakunov.

The next court session will be held on April 25.