Every day reveals so many new details about the life dramas that took place at the KCUS Special Respiratory Center (SRC) and so many new facts about the failures of management and professional services that it is almost unbelievable that everything could be covered up without a court epilogue, as this has been done countless times so far under the political dictates of the SDA. Personal testimonies of survivors and families of the deceased are appearing on social networks on a daily basis, and now the testimonies of medical staff are reaching the public. We also heard the announcement of a lawsuit that the brother of one of the deceased defined as "murder of a patient".

Probably the operational documents, as well as the collected evidence of SIPA inspectors and the State Prosecutor's Office of B&H, already contain some answers to the key question - how did Sarajevo suddenly find itself at the very top of the world in terms of mortality rates?! Or more specifically, if we take into account the exact fact that in those days in the General Hospital Sarajevo the mortality of patients was 10 times lower than in the SRC in Koševo - how did it happen that at the end of March mortality at KCUS was among the most tragic in the world?!

The TBT research team, in contacts with insiders at the Clinical Center in Koševo, even in the Cabinet of the General Directorate, came up with interesting data, but also some questions that could be a guide for SIPA investigators and the Prosecutor's Office of B&H. Especially according to the general director dr. Sebija Izetbegović and those responsible for technical issues.

Improvisations with a tragic epilogue

The findings of TBT indicate that the basis of the problem (and high mortality) is extreme improvisation in organizing a respiratory center in the old surgery building in the Koševo area, especially in commissioning old and setting up new oxygen installations. Chinese respirators are a special story.

As it is already known, the old oxygen system has been out of order since 2014., when the old operating rooms were closed. No one knows whether sterilization / purification of these old installations was performed before reconnection. Has the sockets to which the respirators are connected been sterilized? If so, there would have to be a document about it. Does the KCUS Technical Service have it? This is exactly what the SIPA operative would have to ask the competent engineers and the responsible medical staff. Why? Because a potentially bacteriologically non-sterile system could (among other things) be fatal to patients and (only) one of the possible causes of death!

Furthermore, a new one was upgraded to the old system so that oxygen could be distributed to as many rooms and beds as possible. However, who, when and on the basis of which technical documentation performed those works? Is there a project at all or was it doneroughly and by heart?

This should also be examined by the Technical Service. Because, incidents with oxygen system failure are not uncommon at all, and as insiders warn us, they have always been fatal for patients whose lives at that time depended on respirators.

Therefore, the inspectors of SIPA and the Prosecutor's Office of B&H must not take for granted the claims of the KCUS management that "no one died due to the lack of oxygen and Chinese respirators". This needs to be investigated by comparing data on the time of patient death and the time of system failures. One must keep in mind and check the public testimonies of the families of the deceased patients who claimed that "… when oxygen runs out, several people die."

It is necessary to return to the official document of the head of the technical service, Muhamed Kadrić, from last year, when he warned all the authorities in KCUS about the problems in the functioning of the oxygen supply in Podhrastovi. The problem was found out, because the document leaked to the media. And what happened then? He was removed from that position, and soon after that under the pressure of dr. Izetbegović, Amra Karić the director of the non-medical discipline also resigned.

Furthermore, the investigation must focus on the key question - was the "adaptation" of the SRC building to the new purpose done in the manner prescribed by law? Is there a building permit? From these documents it should be seen who performed the works, especially the installation of new oxygen distribution and who controlled their work (certificate) before commissioning and on the basis of which project? A TBT research team tried to find out if it all existed, but to no avail. It is probable that none of these documents exist and that everything was done on the verbal order of the general director, Dr. Izetbegović, as well as many things at KCUS.

An important aspect of this whole story is the question - who connected the "raspberry-respirators" in the temporary respiratory center? Is there a record of that? The law specifies that this can only be done by service technicians authorized for certain medical equipment. Who was it in this case?

If KCUS does not present these documents to investigators, these are new aspects of the crime dangerous to the life and health of patients!

Dr. Izetbegović: "Either keep quiet, or you are accomplices!"

It is clear that the basis of the drama of the patients in the SRC was the decision of the general director, Dr. Izetbegović to put the so-called "raspberry-respirators" right before her testimony in the trial of Prime Minister Fadil Novalić and others for the criminal purchase of inadequate Chinese devices. There is a morbid, but probable thesis, which will need to be proven, that Dr. Izetbegović right before her testimony, ordered that they start being used so that she could say in court that "all of them work and that everything is ok" (as she said) and thus relativize the responsibility of the accused, but also her own. Characteristic for the director dr. Sebija Izetbegović, she issued the order to use "raspberry-respirators" orally. No paper. And when the investigation reaches that point, she "won't remember anything" or, as usual, "she's a gynecologist, so she doesn't know that, it was decided by anesthesiologists" (as in the "Nadine case" she transferred all the responsibility to pediatricians).

Forgery of documents?

However, the anesthesiologists who understood what was happening, wrote a letter - an analysis of the situation - which did not reach the media by accident. The pressure of conscience was greater than the pressure from the Cabinet. That's how this horror was found out, so in early April, Dr. Nermin Granov, head of surgical disciplines, issued an order to withdraw Chinese respirators from use. There is no doubt that the intentions of the anesthesiologist were to help patients (unlike the director's), but they will have to explain why they relied lightly on dubious respiratory certificates that have been claimed for months that are not for intensive care. (And that alibi documentation on respirators is suspicious on many grounds, but it will be the subject of a special analysis that will cover several companies and individuals in B&H and China.)

However, when the investigators entered the KCUS in an action which started with a letter from anesthesiologists and under public pressure, the "responsible person" of the KCUS was the first to feel threatened. One of the signatories of the letter testified to us that after the arrival of the SIPA investigators, the director general, dr. Izetbegović began to threaten. On condition of anonymity, he told us:

"The letter is authentic, everything in the letter is true. Now director Izetbegović is threatening us. She came to the ward late at night and told us… “You better keep quiet about everything or you will become accomplices too! And you better not let the Prosecution find anything here! "

The resulting conclusion indicates that inadequate Chinese respirators procured through the "Silver Raspberry" were used in the Special Respiratory Center in the KCUS old surgery building in a way not intended for, in intensive care, and that this is the probable cause of death of a number of patients who were connected to these "raspberry-respirators". This is the most probable criminal offense of "negligent treatment with fatal consequences" in which there are both commanders and perpetrators. This is a completely new situation in which Dr. Izetbegović is taking new repression against employees, but also various cover-up measures that investigators must pay attention to!

A few days ago, an order was issued not to put a date on various acts produced by clinics, with the explanation that "there are mistakes, so it will be entered later"? !? Also, all record notebooks of mail that couriers internally deliver to KCUS the other day were "seized" and taken to the GD Cabinet!? It all looks like tuning papers from which investigators could uncover crime and perpetrators.

Lack of paper and illegals works are actually a big problem for the management at the moment, because without them it turns out that the SRC, as a place of possible crime, is an illegal facility and installation. To cover this up, now the management of KCUS would have to retroactively and falsely date through their own decisions on all works on the SRC, documents on the selection of bidders, contracts, building permits, installation certificates…

Money would not be a problem for all that, because KCUS, according to the data from the finances, March 31st, 2018. , on the account had - 51 million KM! But a special question is which company would engage in such a criminal deal now that the affair is under the scrutiny of SIPA for the sake of quick and extra profit. Another important question is - if KCUS has 51 million KM in its account, why not buy expensive drugs against COVID for patients, which patients today have to buy themselves - most often in Dina pharmacy?

Lies, lawsuits and videotapes…

Discharge lists of cured and deceased patients are not issued for weeks, so some families cannot initiate court proceedings. Furthermore, in no case was an autopsy approved to determine the exact cause of death (COVID or suffocation?). These are all suspicious circumstances that indicate an intention to conceal the responsibility of KCUS.

TBT has come to the information that so far 276 individuals and families have decided to file a lawsuit against KCUS for KD reckless treatment with fatal or severe consequences. All refer to the suspicion that the death occurred due to a faulty oxygen system, the use of an inadequate Chinese respirator or the denial of other medical services. Not to mention the suffering of the patients.

Also, some of the future prosecutors claim that there are still videos from mobile phones that recorded dramatic moments when the oxygen runs out and patients start to choke. They were advised by lawyers not to post them on social media or YouTube channel so that it cannot be compromised as evidence. SRC staff normally confiscated cell phones from patients (!?), but some still managed to keep it and take very disturbing shots.

These recordings would expose all the lies of the management headed and at large, only thanks to the (weaker) party control of the police, investigative and judicial bodies, the wife of the president of the SDA, Dr. Sebija Izetbegović. She will soon realize that employee control is not up to par, as more and more witnesses are willing to reveal details of illegal management moves to law enforcement agencies, which are of such proportions that it was time to lock police handcuffs on Koševo.