Dr William Husel: Doctor accused of murdering 25 patients with overdoses of painkillers

A doctor has been charged with the murder of 25 hospital patients who were allegedly given deliberate overdoses of painkillers.

Prosecutors in Ohio allege that Dr William Husel, 43, intentionally prescribed lethal amounts of painkillers, mainly the synthetic opioid fentanyl, to 29 patients — aged 37 to 85 — between 2014 and 2018, resulting in the deaths of all but four of them.

Some drugs were administered by other medical workers on his orders, it is claimed.

Many of the patients who died were on ventilators and receiving palliative care. Husel was fired by the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System in December and stripped of his medical licence after the allegations came to light.

He pleaded not guilty after turning himself in to police yesterday. A judge set bail at $1 million. Police sergeant Terry McConnell said none of the families involved believed that what happened was “mercy treatment”.

Amy Pfaff, whose 63-year-old mother Beverlee Schirtzinger died under Husel’s care in October 2017, said she hoped hospitals across the US learned from the case.

Mrs Pfaff said: “Trust me, I sit many hours sitting trying to figure out why he would do this to so many people, and I just don’t know.”

Authorities are not prosecuting nurses, pharmacists and others involved in the deaths, although dozens of hospital employees have been reported to professional boards for investigation.

Husel’s lawyer said he was trying to provide “comfort care” for dying patients. Defence attorney Richard Blake said: “At no time did Dr Husel ever intend to euthanise anyone — euthanise meaning speed up death.”

He said the patients were going to die whether they were being treated by Husel or another physician.

But Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien compared the overdoses to extinguishing a candle. Mr O’Brien said: “That candle, while there may be just a half an inch of wax left, if I blow that candle out, I’m causing that flame to go out sooner than it would naturally.”

Murder charges were brought only in cases that involved fentanyl doses of at least 500 micrograms. Other cases are still under review. Mount Carmel Health System has publicly apologised.

It also acknowledged that Husel was not removed from patient care for four weeks after concerns were raised, and three patients died during that time.

A former nurse was jailed for life in Germany today after being found guilty of killing 85 patients.

Niels Hoegel, 42, had been charged with 100 counts of murder over claims he killed patients at two hospitals between 1999 and 2005 by putting them into cardiac arrest because he liked the feeling of being able to resuscitate them.

Hoegel admitted 43 of the killings. He expressed regret in a closing statement, saying he realised how much pain and suffering he had caused with his “terrible deeds”.

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