NETHERLANDS: Russian doctor endorses Dutch autopsy of Slobodan Milosevic, but says jailed leader's heart condition was easily treatable
Record ID:
872908
NETHERLANDS: Russian doctor endorses Dutch autopsy of Slobodan Milosevic, but says jailed leader's heart condition was easily treatable
- Title: NETHERLANDS: Russian doctor endorses Dutch autopsy of Slobodan Milosevic, but says jailed leader's heart condition was easily treatable
- Date: 15th March 2006
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) LEO BOKERIA, HEAD OF THE BAKULEV CARDIO-VASCULAR SURGERY CENTER IN MOSCOW SAYING: "It's absolutely clear that if the patient was investigated enough and it could have been done in any place, we never insisted on patient to come to Moscow, we never insisted. We just said that you are not doing what should be done and if the patient was investigated enough he would be alive today. That's absolutely clear because it is to easy to treat (inaudible) disease in any place in the world. Either stenting or minimally invasive surgery, any approach is good."
- Embargoed: 30th March 2006 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Netherlands
- City:
- Country: Netherlands
- Topics: International Relations,Health
- Reuters ID: LVAAFRQJVEV1NHETD9AP739SKV46
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: A Russian doctor who examined the autopsy of Slobodan Milosevic agreed with the conclusion that the former president had died of a heart attack but said treatment in Moscow could have saved him.
"It's absolutely clear that if the patient was investigated enough and it could have been done in any place, we never insisted on patient to come to Moscow, we never insisted. We just said that you are not doing what should be done and if the patient was investigated enough he would be alive today," Leo Bokeria, a director at Moscow's Bakulev Heart Surgery Center where Milosevic had wanted to go for treatment, told Reuters.
Bokeria was part of a team of Russian doctors that Russia sent to examine the results of the Dutch autopsy after Moscow said it did not trust the investigation into Milosevic's death.
Bokeria said he saw "nothing showing signs of suicide", but there remained questions over whether Milosevic received adequate care while standing trial at the U.N. tribunal.
Milosevic's family has accused the U.N. war crimes tribunal of murdering the former Serb strongman by refusing his request to travel to Russia for medical treatment.
A preliminary autopsy report showed Milosevic, who had a heart condition and high blood pressure, died of a heart attack and toxicology test results are due later this week.
A Dutch expert said blood tests taken just weeks before Milosevic died suggested the 64-year-old, faced with a possible life sentence if convicted, had knowingly taken harmful medicines to bolster his case to go to Russia for treatment.
The body of Milosevic was to be flown to Belgrade later on Wednesday for burial, according to Milosevic's lawyer. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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