Mikulec: Kuzela Should Accept Responsibility for Colonoscopy Case and Resign

Bratislava, 16 July (TASR) - Former interior minister and MP Roman Mikulec ('Slovakia', For the People, the Christian Union/KU) criticised director of the Bratislava-based St. Michael's Hospital Ladislav Kuzela at a news conference on Tuesday (15 July), stating that he should accept responsibility for patients' health problems following colonoscopy examinations and resign from his post. Mikulec said this in reaction to statements made by Kuzela at a press conference earlier on the same day, when he revealed that a mixture of water and formaldehyde was found in a rinsing container used for colonoscopies. "It took three weeks to director Kuzela to get a good enough tan while on holiday, gain strength and bother to return to Slovakia to comment on the extraordinary situation that occurred at St. Michael's Hospital," stated Mikulec, adding that Kuzela didn't care about patients. Mikulec said that he wants to believe that nobody added formaldehyde to the rinsing container intentionally, but only an investigation into the incident will bring results. St. Michael's Hospital had to suspend its endoscopy programme at its gastroenterology centre as a precaution after seven patients who underwent colonoscopy examinations exhibited non-standard reactions. The decision to suspend the endoscopy programme was made by a special committee set up for this purpose. Kuzela confirmed at a news conference on Tuesday that formaldehyde was found in a rinsing container used for colonoscopies. Two patients affected by this remain in hospital. The police have launched investigation into the case and the hospital has filed a criminal complaint in this connection. The hospital director denied claims that staff had made an error. ko/df