New Mum cut in half by lift in Spanish hospital

gregjrichards

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"This is the tragic mother-of-three who died after she was cut in half by a hospital lift in a horrifying accident.

Rocio Cortes Nunez, 26, was being taken to a maternity unit on the third floor after waking up following a C-section at around 2.30pm this afternoon when the accident happened, El Correro reported.

Ms Nunez has two other daughters, aged three and four, according to the newspaper.

Her baby was said to have been with her when the tragedy happened - but miraculously survived at the Valme Hospital in Seville, southern Spain.

Now her devastated family 'want answers' after the freak accident."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/first-picture-mum-three-who-11024020

What a horrific tragedy Ms. Nunez's family must be absolutely devastated. It's a miracle the newborn baby survived. May Ms. Nunez Rest In Peace.
 
Oh my word what a horrible accident. It is incidents like this that truly makes me appreciate life and knowing tomorrow isn't a given. May her family be wrapped in love through such a horrendous time.
 
The mirror won't let me read that article until I have answered questions that will better target their ads at me.
 
That was an horrific thing to have happen. Her newborn baby actually managed to survive.
 
Sadly, this sounds from articles like a devastating mechanical accident, and less like some kind of human operator error. I hope that it will not be determined to have occurred because of budget/ maintenance cuts to hospital infrastructure. I did see that the elevator was last serviced or inspected Aug 12, and much more needs to come out about the process for maintenance contracting, inspections, and service.

Very, very tragic situation-- her newborn has a heart condition, and was enroute to another pediatric facility for care-- presumably emergency care. I wonder if or what the health professionals knew, if anything, about the baby's heart condition before the c-section? (Although that has nothing to do with the elevator accident, I know.)

Spain's public health system has been struggling for a number of years, with ever increasing cuts to funding. (I'm not linking to a bunch of articles-- this is easily searched by any interested, but I'll link one below to the British Medical Journal.) A few years ago British citizens on vacation in the country were being asked to go to private hospitals and pay upfront if they became ill and needed care-- even though all EU and UK citizens are supposed to be covered for at least emergency/ urgent care while in Spain. There has also been some controversy lately over a plan to privatize some government hospitals. Funding is a very serious issue for Spain's public hospitals, so it will be imperative to find out if funding had any part in something like deferred maintenance issues, or if it was tragically just a very freak occurrence. This seems to indicate that an outside firm is responsible for elevator maintenance (BBM):

Marina Alvarez described the freak event as a 'quick, unusual and tragic accident' and confirmed the lift had last been checked on August 12.

Hospital manager Silvia Calzon has already met with the firm that looks after the lift as well as the family of the dead woman and the hospital porter.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4807590/New-mother-dies-cut-half-lift.html#ixzz4qQw2rnhp
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I don't know the Spanish system well enough to know if or how the family will be compensated for this woman's death, or if they will have to do something like file a wrongful death lawsuit. Does anyone know how the Spanish legal system works in a situation like this? It's clearly not a malpractice issue, but it's a government public hospital, so any relief would presumably be between the government and Ms. Nunez's spouse.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168851013001784

http://www.bmj.com/bmj/section-pdf/187935?path=/bmj/346/7914/Analysis.full.pdf
 
Am I the only one struggling to understand how this occurred?
When you are on a stretcher, if the elevator were to shut on it... it would shut on the stretcher right?
Or are the stretchers and elevators different there?
I at first thought it started to drop or rise with her half way out but that's not what the article says....
 
I don't get it either. So sad that it shut all the way though---So tragic. :rose:
 
See that made more sense.... another article made it sound like the doors shut on her head.
Horrendous either way.
 
See that made more sense.... another article made it sound like the doors shut on her head.
Horrendous either way.
The stuff nightmares are made of! Prayers to her family and children!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
I cannot fully understand how it happened either. I think all the reports by the various reporters are not really accurate. I think the lift and the doors must be antiquated because if the doors do not fully close the lift does not go anywhere. I also thought the lift suddenly dropped killing her or else suddenly jumped upward (killing her), but now we are reading that the lift doors closed on her head......surely her head would be on the stretcher....wouldn't it!!!!!!!!
I don't think any accurate version of events will ever be made known. I also think the lift and the doors must have been antiquated for any such thing to happen. Horrific.
RIP Ms Nunez :rose:
 
That's just horrific, her poor family. I've had a bit of a phobia about this sort of thing since I saw Speed when I was younger (when the woman loses her shoe as they pull her from the falling lift) but always thought it must be mechanically impossible.
 
Baby was not in the elevator at the time, according to daily mail.

I read a yahoo article that stated the baby was on the gurny with the mom but I do not think they would allow that when moving a patient.
 
The mirror won't let me read that article until I have answered questions that will better target their ads at me.

Sorry for the off topic, but I always answer those questions as completely opposite of the truth as possible [emoji23]
 
It is horrifying to think of this poor lady's last moments she must have been terrified. I hope the family get answers and steps are taken to ensure it never happens again. It is likely there will be legal action taken as Ms. Nunez's husband has been left to care for the children himself and the children have lost their Mum. I hope the family are spared a lengthy and costly legal battle.
 
The father of a new mother who was "cut in half" in a hospital lift shortly after giving birth has demanded answers over her death.

Rocío Cortés Nunez, 25, was pushed on her stretcher into the elevator which suddenly took off before she was all the way in, leaving her head trapped in the doors while the rest of her body pulled away.

Hundreds walked behind a hearse carrying her coffin in the town of Dos Hermanas in Seville, Spain.

Her father Juan Manuel Cortes later spoke out over her death, saying: “They have killed my beautiful daughter, the joy of my life. No father should have to bury their daughter.”

Mr Cortes dismissed claims Ms Nunez’s death in Valme Hospital in Seville on Sunday was a freak accident and said the lifts, which he said were 30 years old, should not have been in use.

And he insisted that two porters, rather than one, should have accompanied Ms Nunez when she was being moved from the second to the third floor after giving birth by C-section.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...spital-give-birth-killed-father-a7909651.html
 
My goodness this is horrific. How terrified she must have been. Very very sad :(

RIP Rocio.
 

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