Doctor charged in death of 20-year-old football player due to COVID-19

A doctor from the therapeutic department of the Academician Nikoloz Kipshidze Central University Clinic (Republican Hospital) has been officially charged in connection with the death of 20-year-old football player Vakhtang Charkviani, who succumbed to complications from COVID-19.

The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office has accused the doctor of violating medical treatment protocols, stating that he failed to follow established procedures for managing the patient’s condition.

According to the charges, the doctor prescribed medication without conducting the necessary tests. As a result, he is facing charges under Part 2 of Article 220 Prima of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which carries a penalty of two to five years in prison for official negligence.

Additionally, the Tbilisi City Court has found senior nurse Tea Begiashvili guilty under Part 1 of Article 362 of the Criminal Code for falsifying an official document related to the case.

Vakhtang Charkviani was admitted to the Republican Hospital on August 11, 2021, after being transferred from a COVID-19 hotel by emergency medical services. He underwent treatment at the hospital for one month before passing away on September 10, 2021.

His father, Gaioz Charkviani, actively pursued an investigation into his son’s death. He formally requested the Prosecutor General’s Office to launch an inquiry while also appealing to the Agency for the Regulation of Medical and Pharmaceutical Activities of the Ministry of Health.

Following these appeals, the Prosecutor General’s Office initiated an investigation, and Gaioz Charkviani was granted victim status in the case. He continues to assert that his son’s death resulted from improper medical treatment at the Republican Hospital.