• austriantimes.at
• croatiantimes.com
• salzburgtimes.at
• viennatimes.at

12. 04. 12. - 13:00

• more General News news...
• RSS Feed General News

12. 04. 12. - 13:00

Cancer patient left to die in Romania vindicated by ECHR beyond his grave

Michael Leidig

The European Court for Human Rights condemned yesterday (Weds) Romania for breaching the right to life of a cancer patient by refusing to provide him with treatment, local press informs today (Thurs).

The Romanian state was sentenced to pay 20,000 Euros in damages to the family of Ştefan Panaitescu, a cancer patient left to die because he could not afford the costs of the treatment.

The health authorities in Romania refused to treat him and acknowledge his right to treatment under the Constitution and human rights rules. The man died in 2006.

ECHR ruled Romania breached the right to life by not respecting the European Convention of Human Rights.

In 2005 the patient was operated on for a kidney tumor at Cluj Oncology Hospital (Western Romania). After surgery, the doctors gave him only vitamins, refusing to provide him with the standard treatment for cancer. The doctors suggested he should pay for his treatment out of his own money.

The patient asked on a number of occasions for help from the Health Insurance County House who denied him the treatment.

In November 2005, the man sued the Romanian authorities asking to recover the money spent on his treatment. In 2006, a local court in Cluj decided in his favour, but the hospital refused to observe the ruling.

In a letter sent to the Health Insurance House just before he died, the man told the authorities that they were going to be responsible for his death.

Some 50,000 Romanians die every year because of cancer. According to the President of the Cancer Patients Association in Romania Cezar Irimia, the first cause of death is the lack of medicine and proper treatment.

Tragic Ski Girl Dies
A 10-year-old British schoolgirl has died after skiing into a tree at high speed during a family holiday tragedy in the Austrian Alps.

Peak Performance
Police chiefs in Hamburg, Germany, are celebrating after new crime figures showed there wasn't a single bank robbery in the city last year.

Chinese Fakeaway
Chinese property developers who've been thwarted in a bid to buy up an entire Austrian village have settled on the next best thing - an entire life-sized replica.

Austrian children help Romanian kids
A charity project run by the middle school in Hippach has been recognised with an award for its social work by officials in Tyrol.

Mother kills disabled daughter because she couldnt take care of her any longer
A Romanian woman killed her 8 year-old disabled daughter on Wednesday (yesterday)because she couldn't pay for her care, Libertatea newspaper reports.

Policeman accused of sex with the son of his girlfriend
A Policeman from Vulcan, Western Romania is currently being investigated for having sex with a minor, the son of his girlfriend, Cancan newspaper informs today (Thurs).

Serial killer survivor walks away alive after fall
An 85 year-old woman who survived the most cruel and notorious serial killer in Romania some 40 years ago, recently fell from the first floor of her apartment building and she walked away safe and sound, Cancan newspaper reports today (Thurs).

The son of Qatar Airlines BA beaten up in Romania
The son of the Board of Administration of Qatar Airlines Akbar Al Baker, was beaten up over the weekend at the launching party of a posh club in Mamaia, at the Romanian Black Sea shore, Cancan newspaper reports.

Majority starts president’s suspension procedures
A day after the Social Liberal Union (USL) legislators dismissed with a large majority of votes the two Speakers of the Parliament, the Union started today the procedures for the suspension and possible impeachment of President Traian Basescu. This is the second time when the Parliament asks for Basescu’s suspension.

Some 177 Roma repatriated by French authorities to Romania
Some 177 Romanian citizens of Roma origin were repatriated on Tuesday night from Lille, France, Romania TV news channel informs today (Weds).