Recklessness in Romania: Ambulance to blame for Ekeng’s death

Cameroonian died last week after collapsing on field

BUCHAREST: An inquiry into the death of Dinamo Bucharest midfielder Patrick Ekeng has revealed that the ambulance company that took him to hospital had faulty equipment and medicine beyond its expiry date in some of its vehicles, said Romania’s interior ministry.

The 26-year-old Cameroon international collapsed on the pitch from a suspected heart attack shortly after coming on as a 62nd-minute substitute against Viitorul Constanta.

He was pronounced dead two hours after the incident. After his death, world football players’ union FIFPro raised concerns about the level of first-aid treatment for footballers in Romania, saying “it is clear that some Romanian clubs have a history of skimping on medical facilities”.

The interior ministry said it had suspended the licence of private company Puls for at least 30 days and imposed fines totalling $6,039 following an investigation of its equipment and the professional qualifications of its staff.



The ministry said in a statement that the investigation had revealed defibrillators with expired batteries in some ambulances belonging to the company, and medicine used in resuscitation procedures that had expired.

Ekeng’s agent also criticised the treatment received by the African player. “The ambulance arrived late,” Hasan Anil Eken told local media. “Actually there were three ambulances around the stadium but none of them had a defibrillator.”

Shortly before Ekeng’s death, about 500 people protested in Bucharest against conditions in Romanian hospitals after public pressure prompted the health ministry to publish data showing that roughly 20% of tested hospitals were using diluted disinfectants.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2016.

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