A Croatian doctor has been indicted on suspicion of medical malpractice after allegedly misdiagnosing a patient with stomach cancer, leading to major surgery in which her stomach and several other organs were removed. Subsequent tests reportedly revealed a benign tumor. Health authorities and the hospital say the circumstances must be thoroughly investigated.
A case involving the alleged misdiagnosis of stomach cancer in Croatia has prompted responses from the country’s health minister, the Croatian Medical Chamber and the hospital where the doctor remains employed.
According to Croatian media reports, the Zagreb Municipal Criminal State Attorney’s Office has filed an indictment against a doctor from the Sisters of Charity University Hospital Centre (KBC Sestre milosrdnice) on suspicion of negligent medical treatment.
The doctor is accused of incorrectly diagnosing a patient with stomach cancer. The woman subsequently underwent extensive surgery at KBC Rebro in Zagreb, during which her stomach and several other organs were removed.
Later examinations reportedly showed that the patient had a benign tumor that did not require such extensive surgery.
The criminal proceedings are ongoing, and the allegations have not been established by a final court judgment.
Health Minister Calls for Review
Health Minister Irena Hrstić said she learned about the case through media reports and did not have sufficient information to draw conclusions.
“At this moment, based on the information available, I have no grounds to offer my own judgment,” Hrstić said, explaining that the case reportedly involved a difference between the initial diagnosis that indicated surgery and the findings obtained after the operation.
The minister said it should be established whether a request had already been submitted for an inspection by the Ministry of Health’s health inspectorate.
She also emphasized the importance of an assessment by medical professionals, particularly the relevant committee of the Croatian Medical Chamber.
Medical Chamber Says It Received No Complaint
Krešimir Luetić, president of the Croatian Medical Chamber, said the organization had not received a complaint concerning the alleged misdiagnosis and had learned about the case through the media.
“Patient safety and the quality of health care must be the priority in the provision of medical services,” Luetić said while speaking at a thematic session of the Croatian Parliament’s Committee on Health and Social Policy.
He expressed regret over the reported consequences for the patient and said doctors can face disciplinary proceedings before the Medical Chamber’s Court of Honor, as well as legal proceedings in the regular courts.
Luetić added that medical licenses had been revoked in some cases involving professional misconduct, although he did not provide specific statistics on comparable incidents.
Hospital Expresses Regret as Doctor Remains Employed
KBC Sestre milosrdnice confirmed that it was aware of the case and the proceedings currently underway.
The hospital expressed regret over the patient’s experience and the consequences she is facing, acknowledging her need for the facts and responsibility to be established.
Because criminal and civil proceedings are ongoing, the institution said it could not comment on details that form part of those cases.
The hospital also confirmed that the doctor remains employed there.
It stressed that individual responsibility must be determined through the appropriate legal procedures and called for a thorough and impartial examination of all the circumstances.
Doctors Call for Individual Accountability and Systemic Changes
Ivana Šmit, president of the Croatian Association of Hospital Doctors (HUBOL), expressed regret over the case while noting that errors can occur in medicine, particularly when diagnostic procedures are rushed or not completed properly.
She warned that pressure on pathologists, diagnostic specialists or radiologists to reach conclusions quickly can contribute to mistakes.
Ivana Kekin, chair of Parliament’s Committee on Health and Social Policy, said individual responsibility must be established, but added that the health system also needs to examine the processes and risks that may have allowed such an incident to occur.
Without understanding those contributing factors, she argued, it would be difficult to prevent similar cases in the future.
As the criminal proceedings continue, the patient is seeking justice while the case raises broader questions about diagnostic safeguards, professional accountability and the capacity of Croatia’s health care system, which is also facing staff shortages.
