Shift in the case of the doctor who died after surgery in Uruguay: Orsi reinstated the five-year sanction for the anesthesiologist

Soledad Barrera had always dreamed of being a doctor (Clip Subrayado/Channel 10). The case of the doctor who died after surgery continues to generate repercussions in Uruguay, following a decision made this Tuesday by the President of the Republic, Yamandú Orsi. The pediatrician Soledad Barrera underwent gallbladder surgery in October 2023, from which she emerged in an irreversible vegetative state. In August 2024, the professional passed away, and scrutiny was placed on the actions of the anesthesiologist who intervened, Inés Miralles. The anesthesiologist who intervened in the surgery was convicted of negligent homicide and sanctioned by the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) with five years of disqualification from practicing. However, the new authorities of the ministry reduced the sanction to three years, which generated annoyance in the family and a strong political debate. The Minister of Public Health has been questioned by the opposition—to the point that they demanded her resignation—due to the decision to reduce the sanction for the anesthesiologist. However, this Tuesday President Orsi revoked a previous resolution and reinstated the professional's five-year disqualification. Rosario Barrera, along with her daughters (Clip Subrayado/Channel 10). The resolution, dated November 10, was taken after an appeal filed by Rosario Barrera against the MSP resolution of October 1, which ordered the anesthesiologist's three-year disqualification. The family of the deceased pediatrician filed a complaint for alleged malpractice in the care process provided to their daughter. According to the Presidential document, the woman suffered a cardiac arrest during the operation and severe, irreversible neurological damage. She remained in that state for 10 months, until her death in August 2024. The anesthesiologist had filed appeals against the five-year disqualification, and for that reason, Lustemberg intervened and reduced the sanction to three years. The minister argued that she made the decision based on legal elements and not because she knew the professional. A march demanding Justice for the death of Soledad Barrera (Clip Telenoche/Channel 4). The family of the deceased pediatrician appealed that decision, arguing that they were not given sight of the resolution, criticized certain legal aspects, and criticized the "excess of power." "The gravity of the facts does not admit any reduction, and the reduction of the sanction was decided by ignoring a relevant precedent," the family stated, referring to a report from a private hospital that questioned the anesthesiologist's work. More than a year after Lustemberg's decision—and with the intervention of President Orsi—the government reinstated the five-year disqualification. The decision is based on the emergence of "new facts that warrant reconsidering the sanction previously ordered," says the Presidential resolution. "It is a decision we made together with President Yamandú Orsi," the Minister of Public Health declared this Tuesday. Soledad Barrera, a Uruguayan pediatrician who died after undergoing routine surgery (Clip Subrayado/Channel 10). The opposition evaluated Orsi's decision and demanded the resignation of the Minister of Public Health. Barrera, Soledad's mother, said this decision changed her image of Orsi and led her to question Minister Lustemberg again. "This decision shifted my perspective a bit. The way I thought about the president was totally different than now. I couldn't believe that, having presented so much evidence, the president wouldn't make the right decision. He put his hand on his heart," Barrera declared on the program Puesta a punto, on Channel 12. Rosario Barrera, a 41-year-old pediatrician victim of malpractice in Uruguay (Clip Subrayado/Channel 10). "What they did here was give us a grain of sand to lean on and move forward," she added. The woman learned of the Presidential decision through a press release. Barrera questioned the decision made by Minister Lustemberg because it contradicted what a commission had advised. Although she celebrated this Tuesday's news, she believes the disqualification period is insufficient: she believes the fair amount is 10 years.