Moldova: Construction drills 'used for surgery'
Surgeons in Moldova have resorted to operating with construction drills, it's claimed.
A YouTube clip claiming to show a doctor using such an instrument, along with a set of "rusty" pliers, on a patient's leg sparked outrage in the country's media. Doctors from the Chisinau-based Ignatenco children's hospital then told news channel Publika TV they used "construction tools" while operating. One, Nicolae Curca, told the reporter: "We informed relevant bodies that we work with construction drills and that we carry out osteotomy [a bone-cutting procedure] with hammer and chisel."
Health Minister Andrei Usatii denied this was the case, claiming the video clip was aimed at "discrediting" the hospital, reports the Publika TV. However, Prime Minister Iuriu Leanca issued a statement demanding that Usatii immediately inspect medical equipment in clinics and find funds to buy new equipment.
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