"Did Oppido look at me? He really shouldn't look at me, nor the other six suspects, because in my opinion they are all guilty". This is how Patrizia Mercolino, mother of Domenico Caliendo, responded to journalists who asked her if, during today's hearing, her gaze had met that of the heart surgeon who performed the failed heart transplant on her son. "Even two health workers from Bolzano under investigation? I am neither a judge nor a lawyer: the only thing I can say is that whoever made a mistake must pay, whether from Bolzano or Naples".
"I couldn't wait to see him, it was a good impact, the anger came out, I would have preferred to see all the other six too, because they all made mistakes, some more, some less." Thus, Patrizia Mercolino, the mother of Domenico Caliendo, to journalists, at the end of the hearing during which, in room 116 of the Court of Naples, the first part of the examination and cross-examination of the experts appointed by the investigating judge Mariano Sorrentino to draw up the report on the evidentiary incident as part of the investigation into the child's death took place. "The last time I saw him was February 17th," Patrizia said again, referring to the heart surgeon Guido Oppido, who performed the failed heart transplant. "I'm just happy that Oppido saved so many lives - Domenico's mother said - so many children, but my son died". Today, two supporters of the heart surgeon entered the courtroom without authorization and were immediately identified and accompanied outside by the police. For Patrizia it was a difficult day: "tomorrow's day will also be difficult - but the worst is yet to come: when all the suspects will be heard and they will say what happened" but "let's say that we are ready, that is what we wanted and what we were waiting for".
The anesthesiologist was retransplantable until mid-January
He confirmed to the investigators that little Domenico Caliendo, until mid-January, despite being under extracorporeal oxygenation (i.e. connected to the ECMO), presented clinical conditions such as to allow a new transplant: this is what the anesthesiologist Carmela Scarpati speaks, who in recent days was heard by the prosecutor Giuseppe Tittaferrante of the Naples prosecutor's office as part of the investigation into the child's death, for which seven Neapolitan health workers and two from Bolzano. According to what he reported, up until that date the lungs were ventilating well, there were no neurological, hepatic or renal complications or even infections. The doctor was on the list of users of the "heroes" chat acquired by the investigators and on which several health workers exchanged considerations on the sensational case of the almost two and a half year old child who died in Monaldi on 21 February. The doctor kept the child's health conditions under constant control during his stay in intensive care. Responding to the prosecutor's questions, he stated that, according to what he had learned, the use of the Berlin Heart (artificial heart), thanks to which Domenico would have had more chances (according to the consultants of the Caliendo-Mercolino family but also according to the investigating judge's experts, with the evidentiary incident report being around 80% in the event of a new transplant) had been immediately discarded by the first operator Guido Oppido. The doctor, still chatting, expressed her intention to resign in mid-February as she feared being chosen to take on the role of anesthetist for a second transplant which was being discussed despite the fact that Domenico's health conditions had now significantly worsened: pulmonary ventilation was compromised, there was liver and kidney failure, and shortly before his death there were also haemodynamic decompensations.
