Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1526515
2 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 11 SEPTEMBER 2024 2 NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The ministry published the magistrate's report without making any comments but is holding a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. The magisterial inquiry is distinct from the independent inquiry the ministry set up af- ter Mangion's untimely death inside the hospital emergency. Symptoms described by patient were atypical According to the magisterial inquiry, the autopsy revealed that Mangion died of a cardi- ac tamponade caused by an aortic dissection. An aortic dissection happens when a le- sion occurs to the inner layer of the aorta, which is the main artery through which blood flows from the heart to the rest of the body. The lesion allows blood to enter among the lay- ers of the aortic wall. An aortic dissection is con- sidered a serious medical con- dition and can be fatal unless treated immediately. It can cause a lack of blood flow to the body's vital organs and de- terioration can be sudden. However, the magistrate found that the symptoms Ste- phen Mangion had described to the telemedicine doctor, the doctor at the Floriana health centre and the triage nurse at hospital emergency were not consistent with symptoms nor- mally associated with aortic dissection. The situation was more com- plicated because Mangion suf- fered from high blood pressure but had stopped taking medica- tion for it. High blood pressure increases the risk of aortic dis- section. Three ECGs ruled out heart attack Also, Mangion was subject- ed to three ECGs – one at the health centre and another two at Mater Dei – with doctors each time excluding a heart at- tack. The inquiry did find that when the health centre doctor suggested that Mangion go to hospital, no ambulance was available but given the exclu- sion of a heart attack, the fact that the person accompany- ing Mangion and who offered to drive him to hospital was a nurse, and the relatively short distance between the health centre and Mater Dei, the health centre doctor did not feel there was any risk. At the time, Stephen was in hospital there were 22 urgent cases like his, eight of which had chest pains. In his conclusion, the magis- trate said: "The fact that Man- gion was not taking his medi- cation for high blood pressure, sought medical assistance late, 15 hours after he started feeling symptoms, the atypical symp- toms he presented himself, which were not specific to aor- tic dissection, meant that the medical staff could not reasona- bly diagnose his condition." The magistrate ruled out neg- ligence from the medical staff and said there were no grounds for criminal action to be taken. Magistrate chides Jason Azzopardi for social media comments based on 'fake news' The magistrate also chid- ed those who on social media passed "comments" and "po- ems" on Mangion's untimely death by basing their obser- vations on fake news peddled by someone who then deleted their Facebook profile. The magistrate was referring to former MP Jason Azzopar- di, who claimed negligence, and two private individuals, one of who even wrote a poem trying to describe what he be- lieved were the final moments of Mangion. Magistrate finds no negligence by doctors who treated Stephen Mangion Magistrate Joe Mifsud has excluded negligence, intent or delay by doctors who dealt with Stephen Mangion on telemedicine helpline, the Floriana health centre and Mater Dei Hospital • Mangion died in the waiting area of hospital emergency • Ministry publishes inquiry Stephen Mangion died suddenly in the waiting area of Mater Dei Hospital's emergency (Photo: Facebook) Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela 'Those who peddled rumours should be held responsible' – Health Minister THOSE who peddled rumours and misinformation on the sud- den death of Stephen Mangion should be held responsible for their actions, health minister Jo Etienne Abela said on Tuesday. Abela was speaking at a press conference held hours after his ministry published the pro- ces-verbal of the magisterial in- quiry into Stephen Mangion's death. The inquiring magistrate or- dered the inquiry report be pub- lished by the government to put the outrage to rest. "We published the proces-ver- bal because we agree with the magistrate that this case was un- usual. It was unusual and unfor- tunate," Abela said. Quoting from the magisterial report, Abela insisted that Ste- phen Mangion suffered a natural death. He defended the emer- gency service workers and said that the rumours that spread in the days after his death only served to break the morale of front-liners in the emergency department. Abela complained that workers in the emergency department have been subjected to insults and degrading behaviour while on duty because of this case. He also lambasted comments made on social media by poli- ticians who he said were trying to gain a political advantage through Stephen Mangion's death. Abela said those who made such comments on social media should be held responsi- ble for any harm caused to emer- gency workers. "Do you know how many complaints I received these past days? Many emergency workers told me that this hype, created by certain irresponsible people, resulted in our own workers in the ER being insulted in their place of work. This is irrespon- sible." Abela said these workers are doing their best to provide a ser- vice to the public. "I understand that the Opposition would call for my resignation, but there's a difference between calling for a minister's resignation and at- tacking workers, the system, a service that is drowning in work." Abela also criticised the Medi- cal Association of Malta (MAM), who he said makes it impossible to implement needed reforms in the sector. "The process is slow. Why? Because of resistance from MAM. It is time to say things as they are." "There's a time at which dis- cussion needs to stop and the minister has to take action. If there are proposals to break the mould, the way we work, but then an association blocks every reform put forward, then we're at a point – I don't want to say, of no return – but a bad point indeed." "When I need to be alerted to something, is it necessary to pass on the message through a judi- cial protest? Is that dialogue? Or on other issues, through a legal letter to the state advocate?"