MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Córdoba's Neonatal Maternal Hospital: janitors find 12-week fetus

Several irregularities are taking place at that particular healthcare facility

Maintenance workers at Córdoba's Neonatal Maternal Hospital found the remains of a fetus in a septic chamber, it was reported Wednesday. It is the same healthcare facility where at least 5 newborns died in mysterious circumstances earlier this year and for which a nurse has been arrested last month.

“During the weekly cleaning of a septic chamber of the Maternal Neonatal Hospital carried out today, maintenance personnel extracted remains of a fetus of 9 centimeters in length, 30 grams in weight and approximately 12 weeks of gestation,” Córdoba's Health Ministry posted on Twitter.

“In view of this situation, the Pathological Anatomy service proceeded to its safeguard and analysis, and the Medical Director, Marcelo Argüello, made the corresponding complaint to the Judicial Unit 18,″ it added.

In the case of the 5 dead babies, nurse Brenda Agüero has been charged with ”reiterated aggravated homicide“ for allegedly administering ”toxic substances“ to the victims.

Agüero, 27, testified Wednesday. She insisted she was innocent and spoke of a ”system of concealment“ in the hospital. ”Everyone knew it,“ Agüero went on.

Agüero's lawyer Luis Pareja told the local newspaper La Voz that his client had testified ”extensively and in detail“ and pointed out that ”the evidence presented by the prosecution is weak, it does not even reach the level of an indication.“

The suspect is charged with ”homicide by insidious procedure“ in the June 6 deaths of Angeline Rojas and Melody Molina, the only two cases in the investigation that have autopsies. The nurse argued that she was the one who ”informed the head of nursing and the delegate of the Public Employees Union (SEP) and they did nothing”.

The nurse also said she had requested to be transferred t another area in April and again in May, which was denied. She even added she had tried to return to work at the Sanatorio Allende.

A co-worker of Agüero's had sent her in April 2021 a photo of a baby hospitalized in the Neonatal with a strange V-shaped puncture on his hand in addition to other irregularities, such as the one involving a nurse who had returned from a long psychiatric leave and was involved in cardiac resuscitations although she was supposed to be kept away from those procedures.

Córdoba Health Minister Diego Cardozo resigned last month.