Protest in Bačka Palanka after woman's death from falling off stretcher: Citizens demand systemic responsibility and resignation of acting Health Center director
Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Citizens in Bačka Palanka, Serbia, are protesting the death of a woman who fell from an ambulance stretcher in early July.
- The protest demands systemic accountability and the resignation of the acting director of the local health center.
- Activists state the protest targets political and management responsibility, viewing the involved medical staff as collateral damage from years of healthcare system decline.
A protest is scheduled for this evening in Bačka Palanka, Serbia, following the death of a woman in early July. The incident occurred when she fell from an ambulance stretcher, and a video of the event circulated on social media, deeply disturbing residents.
This protest is not directed towards the workers who were present at the scene; we consider them collateral damage from the long-term systematic collapse of our healthcare system.
The protest, organized by the citizen group "Bačka Palanka uz studente" (Bačka Palanka with Students), demands systemic accountability and the resignation of Srđan Krstonošić, the acting director of the Bačka Palanka Health Center. The health center has announced the suspension of the medical technicians involved in the incident.
Igor Kesić, an activist with the organizing group, stated that the protest is not directed at the individual medical workers. "We consider them collateral damage from the long-term systematic collapse of our healthcare system," Kesić explained. "We demand political and managerial responsibility from all those who are obligated to answer these questions."
We demand political and managerial responsibility from all those who are obligated to answer these questions.
Citizens believe there has been an attempt to cover up the case. The incident has highlighted broader concerns about the state of the healthcare system in Serbia, with protesters calling for fundamental changes and accountability from those in leadership positions.
We learned about the unfortunate event, unfortunately, from social media.
Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.