DSU issued fines and ordered measures after the tragedy in Bacău in which a 15-year-old student died at school
The death of the 15-year-old child from Bacău, shortly after he was hurt in the school yard, generated major controversies regarding the way in which the County Ambulance Service intervened.
Robert died in the school yard PHOTO: News video capture
A 15-year-old minor, from Buhoci commune, Bacău county, died on Thursday, May 21, at school, during a break between classes.
He choked on a piece of food during the break between classes. The first ambulance that arrived on the scene did not have a doctor, and the full crew arrived too late for the minor to be saved.
The Department of Emergency Situations comes after weeks with new information, in an attempt to clarify all aspects related to medical intervention, in the light of some checks made at the school.
“On 22.05.2026, an inspection team of the Department for Emergency Situations went to the headquarters of the structures that provide emergency medical assistance at the level of Bacău County (SAJ Bacău, UPU-SMURD of the Bacău County Emergency Hospital, ISUJ Bacău), as well as to the headquarters of the Secondary School in Vladnic township, Parincea commune, Bacău county (place of intervention), in order to verify the way of providing emergency medical assistance at the pre-hospital level, the activity being carried out in institutional coordination with the Ministry of Health, in accordance with the legal powers of each institution“, according to DSU.
What findings were made
On 20.05.2026, at 12:31 p.m., a call was received by SNUAU 112 reporting an unconscious child. The SAJ operators from the integrated ISU-SAJ Bacău dispatch center addressed the protocol-specific questions and provided first aid instructions until the arrival of the medical crews. After the initial call, several callbacks were recorded through which the evolution of the situation was communicated and new first aid recommendations were provided.
“At the time of the call, there were available at the central station of SAJ Bacău: an emergency medical crew with a doctor and several emergency medical crews with an assistant. Another crew with a doctor was on mission in Iași. At the county level, a mobile intensive care team SMURD was not operational, due to the lack of medical personnel at the UPU Bacău level. Although the reported symptoms fell into the category of major emergencies (Red Code – child who did not breathing), an emergency medical crew with an assistant was initially alerted”, DSU announces.
The DSU representatives say that in accordance with the applicable regulations, it was necessary to consider sending to the case, in the initial phase, other categories of resources, such as a medical crew with a doctor (who was available and who was directed to the case later, being alerted at 13.51 and arriving at the place of request at 14.22) or air rescue crew (which was available).
“No evidence was identified regarding the alerting of an air medical resource (SMURD helicopter), although two SMURD helicopters, one in Brașov and the other in Galaţi, were available and the weather conditions allowed the execution of the mission. The first medical team arrived at the scene approximately 26 minutes after the initial call, being found to have exceeded the maximum arrival time provided for interventions in the rural environment. Moreover, at the level of the Parincea Work Point, belonging to the Bacău Fire Department, a water and foam extinguishing vehicle equipped with a first aid backpack was available, staffed with three non-commissioned officers who have skills in providing qualified first aid. The resource could be allocated to the intervention given the patient's interest and the fact that it was the closest resource to the point of request. In this situation, resuscitation maneuvers could be initiated by personnel with paramedical training until the arrival of the emergency medical crew”. DSU also specifies.
A 15-year-old student from Bacău died at school during a break. What the authorities say
It should be noted that upon the arrival of the first medical team, the people on the scene were already performing resuscitation maneuvers, which continued to take over the resuscitation maneuvers.
The checks showed that medical personnel from the community were also present at the scene before the arrival of the emergency crew, but who were not performing medical maneuvers at the time of the arrival of the emergency crew, as can be seen from the images filmed by the vehicle's dashboard camera.
The medical crew that arrived at the place of request did not transmit medical data to the coordinating doctor, neither through the receiving station nor through the telemedicine system, as provided by the protocols in force.
DSU conclusions
The case was classified as a major emergency, corresponding to the “Code Red” category, for which the procedures allow the alerting of resources with a higher level of competence.
“The coordinating doctor did not capitalize on all the available resources at the time of the request, although they were available. An air resource was not requested, although the procedural framework allowed this and there were available resources. A qualified first aid resource in the vicinity of the intervention site was not used. Within the ISU-SAJ Bacău Integrated Dispatch, a screen was identified that separated the fire dispatchers from the SAJ dispatchers, an aspect that can lead to deficiencies regarding communication and coordination of emergency situations”states the DSU following the control.
Measures and sanctions provided
The DSU requested the transmission of the report to the Bacău County Police Inspectorate, the Prosecutor's Office attached to the Bacău Court, the College of Doctors and the Ministry of Health.
At the same time, contraventional sanctions in the amount of 5,000 lei were applied.
Initiation of an internal investigation was requested regarding the dispatching of the case and the failure to alert the available air resource.
Other measures
– Retraining of medical staff, ISU dispatchers and medical coordinators regarding air resource alerting criteria, application of operational procedures and management of major emergencies.
-Retraining the staff regarding the obligation to use all available resources in the interest of the patient.
-Elimination of factors that affect communication in the integrated dispatcher (screen)
– Retraining of all operational personnel regarding contraventions and obligations provided for by the legislation of the national emergency medical assistance system.
-The analysis, within the UPU Bacău, of the possibility of operationalizing a SMURD mobile intensive care team.
