By Richard Torné
The family of a 70-year-old woman who died after undergoing an operation at Torrecárdenas hospital has received €120,000 in compensation from the health department’s insurers.
The woman, María Manuela Herrera, was admitted to the hospital in Almería city in March 2013 to remove her thyroid gland but died following surgical complications.
The insurance company for the Andalucian health service (SAS) agreed to settle out of court last month.
According to the patients’ ombudsman who acted on behalf of the family, Sra Herrera began to choke and haemorrhage during the operation. As she could not be intubated doctors decided to perform a tracheotomy – but perforated her trachea during the procedure.
