Josip Broz Tito's physician claims death occurred a day earlier than officially recorded

Dr. Predrag Lalević, a surgeon and anesthesiologist who served on the medical council for Josip Broz Tito for 16 years, has provided new details regarding the former Yugoslav president's death. While the official record states that Tito died on May 4, 1980, Lalević claims the death actually occurred a day earlier.

Lalević described the final moments in a Ljubljana hospital, noting that during a hemodialysis procedure, Tito experienced a sudden and unmanageable drop in blood pressure. Although life-support machines continued to function, EKG changes indicated that death was imminent. At 15:05, the EKG showed a flat line, signifying the heart had stopped. Following a brief silence and a nod of approval from the council's senior member, Professor Bogdan Brecelj, Lalević proceeded to switch off the respirator, EKG monitor, pacemaker, and medication pump.