Riga nurse sentenced to prison for fatal medication error

The Riga City Court has sentenced a nurse from the Children's Clinical University Hospital (BKUS) to two years in prison after she accidentally mixed medications, resulting in the death of a child in November last year. In addition to the prison sentence, the nurse, identified as Jelena Ugurenko, received a four-year ban from practicing medicine.

The court declined to award the requested 500,000 euro compensation for moral damages in this criminal proceeding. Judge Imants Dzenis explained that determining such compensation could be surprising within this specific process, leaving the victims the option to pursue damages through civil litigation.

Defense attorney Aldis Liepins described the incident as a “fateful coincidence” and a great misfortune, noting that the defendant admits her guilt and regrets the tragedy. The defense is evaluating whether to appeal the verdict and suggested that the case raises questions regarding hospital work organization and the storage of dangerous medications to prevent future errors.