Argentina referee Luis Strafella's amputation triggers probe of Santa Fe health centre

Luis Strafella, a 73‑year‑old football referee from Santa Isabel, Santa Fe Province, had his left leg amputated after receiving care at the provincial health centre SAMCo "Miguel Rueda". He initially reported severe pain during training on 9 July and was diagnosed with a muscle tear, receiving anti‑inflammatory and corticosteroid treatment. His condition worsened, with loss of sensation and coldness in the leg, but the diagnosis was not revised until a guard‑room doctor noted absent arterial pulses and referred him to a higher‑level hospital. There, an echo‑doppler revealed total arterial blockage; a revascularisation surgery failed, resulting in a supracondylar amputation.

Strafella’s lawyer, Carolina Walker Torres, filed an administrative complaint with the Santa Fe Ministry of Health seeking a comprehensive investigation of the medical staff, the centre’s internal controls and possible institutional negligence. A parallel criminal complaint was lodged with the Public Ministry of the Accusation alleging serious injury caused by alleged malpractice. The administrative request calls for audits, inspections and an internal summary of the centre’s operations.