Negligence claim at hospital in Hungary: Patient lying on bloody sheets had both legs amputated

It has been claimed that a patient faced a high level of neglect for weeks at Markusovszky University Educational Hospital in Hungary's Szombathely. In a post shared on social media, the patient's wife stated that her husband had been receiving treatment in the vascular surgery department for more than five weeks. During this process, both of the patient's legs were amputated below the knee. According to the wife's claims, even the basic care needs of the completely dependent patient were not met. The family alleged that despite warning the hospital staff numerous times, no measures were taken.

According to the patient's wife, on days with high air temperatures, the patient lay for days in his own bodily fluids, blood, and pus. The family stated that they repeatedly begged the nurses to change the sheets soaked in blood and pus, but received the same response every time. She explained that the staff constantly passed the buck to each other, with the night shift blaming the day shift and the day shift blaming the night shift. They noted that the sheets were so wet that they could practically be wrung out. According to the family's account, the patient's back was covered in bedsores, and because these wounds were not properly treated, they began to fester.

The family also made serious complaints regarding the attitude of the hospital management. They claimed that due to the patient's infection, he was usually examined and treated at the very end of the day. In addition, they emphasized that to resolve basic issues, it was often the family who had to take action, not the staff. According to an even more alarming claim, despite the patient having previously developed sepsis (blood poisoning), he was discharged for four days. As his condition worsened, he had to be brought back to the same hospital by ambulance. The family stated that the photos taken in the hospital and shared on social media revealed the horrifying scale of what happened.

Following the incident's reflection in the public, Szombathely MP Róbert Rápli also did not remain indifferent to the issue. The Tisza Party politician stated that he was deeply shocked by what happened and called for accountability. Rápli, noting that he had examined the publicly shared photos and the family's post, emphasized that such conditions could not be ignored. The MP contacted the hospital's chief physician directly to demand a complete investigation into the incident. He underlined that the authorities must act immediately and transparently regarding the matter.

The management of Markusovszky University Educational Hospital, on the other hand, referred to their previously published official statement regarding the matter. Hospital officials stated that they evaluated the complaints that came to the forefront on social media without making any additional comments. The management announced that they were aware of the family's posts and had launched a comprehensive internal investigation to clarify all the circumstances of the incident. Due to the intense interest of the public and the media, they avoided making any further statements until the investigation is concluded. Such patient rights and care quality violations have sparked a societal debate regarding the oversight of the healthcare system in Hungary.