German doctor fired for taking help from cleaner in surgery
Doctor sought help from cleaner by asking him to hold patient's leg and pass surgical instruments, says local newspaper
May 19, 2023
BERLIN: A German hospital fired its doctor who took assistance from a cleaner in a toe amputation surgery, expressing regret when the incident came to light, AP News reported.
According to a report by public broadcaster SWR, the incident took place at the Mainz University Hospital back in 2020.
It was also reported that the surgery did not result in any complications to the patient, however, the hospital fired the doctor.
Norbert Pfeiffer, who is the hospital’s chief executive, said that the doctor decided to carry out the procedure even though no qualified assistant was available at that time.
As per the details by the local daily Mainzer Allgemeine Zeitung, the doctor sought help from the nearby cleaner by asking him to hold the patient's leg and pass surgical instruments.
The doctor asked the cleaner for his help when the patient became restless after receiving a local anaesthetic, said the local newspaper, adding that the cleaner had "no medical experience".
The incident came to the fore when a hospital manager saw the cleaner inside the operating theatre with bloody gauze pads in hand.
“This should never have happened,” German news agency dpa quoted Pfeiffer as saying.
