Novi Pazar hospital death investigation follows newborn fatality

A newborn weighing six kilograms died during childbirth at the General Hospital in Novi Pazar on October 30. The incident has sparked public protests and calls for the dismissal of the hospital’s leadership.

The mother, Emina Serhatlić Rebronja, alleges that medical staff refused her requests for a cesarean section and changed decisions regarding an emergency transfer to Kragujevac. Hospital physician Dina Dolovac defended the decision to proceed with a vaginal birth, stating that a cesarean section at that advanced stage of labor posed a severe risk of uterine rupture and heavy bleeding for the mother.

The Belgrade Center for Human Rights has called for an independent investigation to determine if medical procedures aligned with modern standards. The hospital has confirmed that an autopsy has been performed and an extraordinary internal professional supervision commission has been formed to investigate potential medical malpractice.