A year and eight months without seeing a doctor: a boy died in Ternopil region

In the Ternopil region, the mother of a deceased boy and the family doctor have been notified of suspicion over the lack of proper medical supervision of the child. The circumstances of the case were reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.

The boy was born in late May 2021. According to the investigation, from July 2021 to March 2023 the mother did not seek medical care for him and did not bring him for preventive check-ups, although the child had health problems.

The family had a declaration with a family doctor, but the medic, according to law enforcement, never personally examined the boy. The doctor entered information about the child’s condition into medical records based on the parents’ accounts during phone conversations.

Due to the lack of proper supervision, a genetic pathology was not detected in time. The boy later died. The investigation believes that timely diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring could have prevented the tragedy.

The 46-year-old mother was notified of suspicion under Article 166 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — for willful failure to perform duties of child care, which caused serious consequences.

The family doctor is charged under part 2 of Article 140 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — improper performance of professional duties that caused serious consequences for a minor.

Earlier we wrote:

• In Khmelnytskyi region a mother caused her 15‑year‑old daughter to develop sepsis and require intensive care — the court sentenced her to 2 years with a probationary term
• Two children were left orphaned: in Kyiv a doctor was sentenced to 2 years for the death of a woman in childbirth, and 15 million UAH were recovered
• Dental procedure with a fatal outcome: the death of a child is being investigated