Okypy investigation into death of 42-year-old nears completion

Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death of 42-year-old Georgia Christofi at Larnaca general hospital are close to being completed, state health organisation Okypy on Monday, a day after the patient died.

“An investigation is underway to fully document the events, which is expected to be completed very soon,” Okypy spokesperson Charalambos Charilaou said.

Christofi, a multiple sclerosis patient, died on Sunday from complications arising after undergoing a hysterectomy at the hospital on January 16.

Although she was initially in a stable post-operative condition, the following day she suffered a serious brain haemorrhage and fell into a permanent coma after being found unconscious on the bathroom floor.

She had remained intubated since at the hospital’s intensive care unit, where she passed away three weeks after the surgery.

Her family had previously filed a complaint with Okypy, accusing the hospital of negligence, with an investigation being launched soon after.

Christofi reportedly contacted her relatives the day after her surgery to tell them that her repeated requests for help to go to the toilet had gone unanswered by hospital staff.

The woman’s medical file, as reported by the authorities, details that she was found unclothed and wet, face down on the floor of a hospital toilet. Tests later revealed that she had suffered a cerebral haemorrhage.

Her family said that this claim contradicts the hospital’s earlier account of her falling from her bed. They said they believed that the woman’s attempt to go to the toilet unaided led to her fall and injury.

The family said that the woman stopped replying to messages earlier in the day, prompting concern among her relatives, who believe that this was due to a second fall.

They have since requested a full investigation into the incident and said that they intend to file a complaint with the police.

Larnaca police department spokesperson Spyros Chrysostomou on Sunday said “during her treatment it appears that she tried to get out of bed, resulting in her falling and hitting her head. She had been intubated since then, and she passed away today,” he said.

Chrysostomou confirmed that investigations into the allegations of negligence or omission by the hospital’s medical staff were ongoing.