North Macedonia health commission finds no medical error in Strumica paralysis case

A professional oversight commission established by the Ministry of Health has concluded that no medical error occurred in the case of a 19-year-old woman from Strumica who became paralyzed following a cesarean section.

The commission, which included experts from North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia, reviewed medical documentation and MRI scans from the Strumica General Hospital, the Shtip Clinical Hospital, and the University Clinic of Neurology in Skopje. The experts unanimously determined that pregnancy care, the surgical procedure, spinal anesthesia, and post-operative follow-up were all performed according to established protocols and clinical best practices.

The investigation found that the spinal anesthesia was administered using standard drugs and dosages in the lumbar region. The patient was reportedly discharged from the hospital without neurological symptoms, which only appeared several days later. The commission suggested the most likely cause is spontaneous bleeding resulting from a rare vascular malformation in the spinal cord, a condition that cannot be detected via angiography. Health Minister Sasho Klekovski stated that further analyses will be conducted once the patient's health allows to confirm the exact cause.