Under the procedural guidance of the Western District Prosecutor's Office of Dnipro, two doctors — orthopedic surgeons from one of the children's hospitals in Dnipro have been charged with suspicion of operating on the healthy arm of an 8-year-old boy during a surgical intervention (Part 2 of Article 140 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

In September 2022, a mother brought her child to the medical facility, where a doctor confirmed a fracture of the right forearm based on the results of an X-ray examination. The minor patient was given a plaster cast and scheduled for a follow-up examination in a month.

During the follow-up examination, the doctors claimed that the fracture had allegedly healed incorrectly, insisting on the necessity of surgical intervention.

On November 1, 2022, the two orthopedic surgeons who had previously examined the child performed the surgery. Due to their negligent attitude towards their professional duties, the medical professionals conducted the surgical intervention on the child's other, healthy arm, effectively causing a fracture.

After the boy was transferred to the post-operative ward, the mother noticed that the operated arm was not the injured one, but the healthy one.

Relatives immediately transferred the child to another medical facility, where he received the necessary medical assistance and rehabilitation.

According to the conclusion of the forensic medical examination, there were no objective medical indications for performing the surgery at all.

As a result of gross violations of medical care standards, the child suffered moderate bodily injuries.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by investigators from the investigative department of the Dnipro District Police Department No. 1 of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a court verdict.