The girl went to the Villa Mafalda clinic in northern Rome on Saturday morning, for a routine operation on her right eye, Il Messaggero reported. Although children frequently undergo the surgery, the ten-year-old girl had a heart attack and died in hospital.
Ahead of an autopsy on Tuesday prosecutors have opened an investigation and the doctors could face manslaughter charges, Il Messaggero said.
“There was nothing seriously wrong with the girl when she entered the clinic,” family lawyer Orazio Labianca was quoted in the newspaper as saying.
The clinic has defended its position, with management saying they have “unquestionable faith in the medical staff”.
Doctors “intervened quickly, fighting for a long time and leaving no stone unturned in their attempts to save the life of the girl,” the clinic management was quoted as saying.
SEE ALSO: Milan 'clinic of horrors' doctor 'killed' four
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