By: Akanksha
Spain’s National Police have broadened the scope of their investigation into a 66-year-old doctor under investigation in connection with the death of a 56-year-old nurse who worked alongside him at the Hospital Costa del Sol. The physician allegedly administered several doses of propofol—a powerful anesthetic—to his colleague in a hotel room in Marbella, Málaga.
The body was discovered on the afternoon of Thursday, October 1. According to his statements to the police, the pair had been staying at a hotel in Marbella since midday. They arrived at around 2:20 p.m., heated up some takeaway food containers, and, after allegedly administering propofol to each other, fell asleep. The pair allegedly used the drug routinely to help each other fall asleep, though the last time they did, the woman never woke up.
It was the 66-year-old doctor himself who rang the 091 National Police control room to report that the woman he was with had died. When the first patrol units arrived, the doctor was waiting for them on a bench outside the hotel. He escorted the officers to room 113 and opened the door, where the police found the nurse on the bed showing no signs of life. Despite summoning an ambulance and paramedics attempting resuscitation, she could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Given the unusual and suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident, a judicial commission was deployed to authorize the removal of the body. The leading hypothesis is that she died from drug poisoning or toxicity, although post-mortem toxicology and autopsy results are pending to confirm the precise cause of death.
During the inquiry, the doctor spontaneously confessed that he had injected propofol into the nurse via an intravenous line directly into her jugular vein, as reported by La Opinión de Málaga. He also claimed that she had injected the same drug into his right forearm.
Also Read: Neuron Function Is Altered by the Widely Used Anesthetic Propofol
Forensic officers carried out a visual inspection and search of the hotel room where the body was found. On the bedside table and in the waste bin, they discovered syringes and two boxes of propofol containing apparently used vials. Elsewhere in the room and inside the suspect’s car, police found bags containing additional medication and supplies. According to SUR English, the medicines seized also included morphine chloride, an opioid analgesic.
The doctor confessed to officers that he and the nurse had stolen the pharmaceuticals from the hospital where they worked, claiming it had turned into a common practice that had gone on for some time. Consequently, police arrested and cautioned the doctor on suspicion of manslaughter, offenses against public health, and the repeated theft of medical supplies.
On October 13, police searched lockers belonging to the doctor and the deceased nurse at Hospital Costa del Sol as part of their investigation into how the drugs were obtained. Investigators suspect that the propofol found at the hotel had been taken from the hospital. The searches form part of efforts to establish how the medicines were accessed and whether hospital supplies were unlawfully removed
A twist in the case — which has given fresh impetus to the inquiry — came when officers checked the identity of the 66 year old detainee against the police databases. Detectives consulted the official registry of guest accommodation and vehicle rentals, a mandatory procedure for all hospitality establishments carried out via the Ministry of the Interior’s SES.Hospedajes platform. The platform enables accommodation providers to submit mandatory guest records, ranging from personal details to reservation data, making them accessible to state security forces to monitor stays across the country.
Upon checking these records, the National Police made a striking discovery: “hundreds” of hotels and guesthouses across Málaga province were registered in the doctor’s name, accompanied by both male and female companions on numerous occasions.
These numerous stays across various locations in the province caught the attention of investigators — not only because of the sheer volume, but also because the doctors already reside and is based in the province where all the hotels are located. Detectives confiscated the suspect’s mobile phone to search his messages and determine the purpose of the numerous bookings.
Officers are currently examining the possibility that the practice of administering sedatives and drugs outside a clinical hospital setting may have extended to other individuals. However, the duty judge who granted the doctor conditional bail considered this police hypothesis to be premature. Further, sources note that the doctor is a sportsman and a keen scuba diver, which could also explain his travels and stays across various parts of the province. The investigation remains at a very early stage.
The doctor was granted provisional release on October 4, following his court appearance. The judge imposed a ban on leaving Spain and ordered the surrender of his passport. The investigation remains ongoing, and the legal proceedings have not established his guilt.
(Rh/APC/MSM)
