Man dies 20 minutes after emergency room visit; family awaits answers as investigation proceeds

Two months after the tragic death of Mirza Čengić, a 35-year-old man who passed away just twenty minutes after an examination at the Zadar County Institute for Emergency Medicine, his family continues to seek answers. The case has now been taken up by the County State Attorney's Office, Dnevnik Nove TV confirmed.

Mirza's family is particularly interested in understanding what transpired during his examination and why additional tests were not performed. "Nothing can bring him back. But I just want to know what happened. Why did they send him out of the hospital without doing tests?" stated Mirza's mother, Aida Čengić.

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Nothing can bring him back. But I just want to know what happened. Why did they send him out of the hospital without doing tests?

The Ministry of Health confirmed that the matter is now under the jurisdiction of the State Attorney's Office. "The proceedings in this case are under the jurisdiction of the DORH, and therefore we are unable to disclose facts from the health inspection," they stated. According to current procedures, the state attorney's office becomes involved ex officio when there is a reasonable suspicion of violent death or possible medical error.

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The proceedings in this case are under the jurisdiction of the DORH, and therefore we are unable to disclose facts from the health inspection.

Details from the health inspection by the Ministry of Health and the internal review by the Zadar County Institute for Emergency Medicine remain unknown. Maja Grba-Bujević, director of the Croatian Institute for Emergency Medicine, recently commented on the proceedings. "When an inspection is initiated in such a case, they submit all their findings and everything they have to the Ministry of Health's inspection. The inspection is independent; they will surely provide an interpretation, and then we will all know," she said, as reported by Dnevnik Nove TV.

The incident occurred on April 17. Mirza Čengić, who worked as a seasonal worker, sought medical help at the emergency department feeling unwell. He was sent home after the examination but soon became ill again. Despite prompt medical attention, he died. His family claims they have been trying to obtain information for two months. "We contacted the Institute for Emergency Medicine. We received a response from the acting director that the investigation is ongoing. We emailed the government, the president, and the Croatian Minister of Health. And of course, no one responded," said Mirza's mother. The Croatian Medical Chamber has also expressed interest, requesting medical documentation for its own analysis, but has not yet received the documents.

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When an inspection is initiated in such a case, they submit all their findings and everything they have to the Ministry of Health's inspection. The inspection is independent; they will surely provide an interpretation, and then we will all know.