The death of the 2-year-old girl during a session at a dental clinic has sparked two parallel investigations: one targeting the dentists involved and another targeting the ATI doctors. The tragedy brings back to the discussion a problem reported for years by the College of Dentists in Romania (CMSR), but so far ignored by the authorities. The president of the institution, Florin Lăzărescu, states that the Ministry of Health did not respond to the request to establish dental offices in public hospitals, especially pediatric ones, where such interventions could have taken place under safe conditions.
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“The world expects transparency from us, expects firm decisions and I can assure you, on behalf of the College of Dentists in Romania, that we have activated all the professional and institutional mechanisms to determine the circumstances in which a child of only 2 years died during a sedation in a dental clinic, and at the same time, that we will take all steps to prevent such tragedies from happening again”. said Florin Lăzărescu. He stated that the institution in the Capital has already opened a disciplinary investigation. “Professor Horia Barbu is also with me, he is the president of the colleagues of dentists in Bucharest. At this moment, we have notified the disciplinary commission from the College of Doctors in Bucharest, which has started the investigation, made requests to obtain all the documents and is dealing with this case expeditiously, and we will keep you informed of the evolution”he added.
According to the president of CMSR, at this moment there are no preliminary conclusions.
“There are no preliminary conclusions that we can give you. The case is being analyzed by an independent formation, which is the disciplinary commission. I must remind you that there are two commissions involved: the commission of the Bucharest College of Dentists, which deals with dentists, and the commission of the Bucharest College of Doctors, which deals with the ATI doctors involved in the event”Lăzărescu explained.
Asked if there was information about clinics not complying with the legislation, the president of the CMSR stated that he had no such reports. He also announced an extended meeting with the representatives of the entire professional body, to analyze the causes of the tragedy, possible legislative gaps and the way of collaboration between the doctors involved.
“Today we are in front of the National Council. They are the representatives of the entire professional body, more than 25,000 professionals. Together with their lordships we will discuss all aspects related to this case and also to the prevention of such cases in the future. We must analyze the causes, see where they led, if there were gaps in legislation, in communication and in interdisciplinary cooperation between medical teams”he specified.
Lăzărescu wanted to emphasize that the CMSR has no powers in approving anesthesia procedures, nor in authorizing operating theaters.
“The part of general anesthesia and setting does not fall within the competences of the College of Dentists in Romania. From the point of view of approvals, the College of Dentists does not deal with the approval of operating blocks. It is the College of Doctors in Romania and subsequently the DSP that aims. So we do not approve”he pointed out.
The CMSR president reiterated that the institution requested the Ministry of Health, since last year, to establish dental offices in public hospitals, especially in children’s hospitals, without receiving any response.
“Approaches were made to the Ministry of Health last year itself”said Lăzărescu, noting that all documents will be presented after the adoption of the decision in the National Council.
Regarding protocols for sedation or general anesthesia in children, the CMSR cannot issue regulations, only requests for clarification.
“The CMSR has been in discussions with both the Society of ATI and the Romanian College of Physicians, and we have sent requests for clarification to the ministry. But, I repeat, these protocols are not within the competence of the CMSR. We can only come with requests for clarifications”concluded Lăzărescu.
