Polish doctor sentenced for negligent death of chest‑pain patient

A court in Rybnik upheld the conviction of Dr Małgorzata F. for involuntary manslaughter after a 49‑year‑old man died following her discharge from the emergency department of the Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny nr 2 in Jastrzębie‑Zdrój. The patient had arrived with severe chest pain, was not examined in person, and was sent home after telephone‑ordered tests. He collapsed shortly after leaving the hospital and died from an undiagnosed aortic dissection.

The appellate court increased the penalty, imposing a three‑year suspended prison sentence and a five‑year prohibition on practising medicine. It also ordered the doctor to pay 50,000 zł in compensation to each of the victim’s parents and to cover court costs. The ruling cites violations of articles 160 (2) and 155 of the Polish Criminal Code, determining that the doctor’s omission directly caused the death.