Romanian doctor gets suspended jail sentence over Cameroonian player’s death

Bucharest – A Romanian court has handed a one-and-a-half-year suspended jail sentence to an emergency doctor for negligence before the death of Dinamo Bucharest’s Cameroonian midfielder Patrick Ekeng in May 2016.

Ekeng collapsed on the field after suffering a heart attack, shortly after coming on as a second half substitute during a domestic league match, and was pronounced dead two hours later.

Elena Duta, the medical specialist in the ambulance which took Ekeng to hospital, was charged in June 2016 with unjustified inaction.

Prosecutors said she made no attempt to resuscitate the player.

Duta was also ordered to pay 200,000 euros (227,000 dollars) in damages and sentenced to 60 days of community service, the court said in a statement late on Thursday.

Duta was not immediately available for comment.

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Following the death of Ekeng, the world football players’ union FIFPro raised concerns about the level of first aid treatment for footballers in Romania.

Eighteen-times Romanian champions Dinamo Bucharest retired the number 14 shirt as a mark of respect to Ekeng, who also played for clubs in Cameroon, France, Switzerland and Spain.(Reuters/NAN)