A 12-year-old girl died shortly after admission to Catanzaro Hospital following a two-hour wait for an ambulance transfer from Soverato Hospital. The Catanzaro Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into the July 26 death of Carlotta La Croce from Amaroni to determine potential medical responsibility.
Prosecutor Francesca Del Cogliano has assigned forensic pathologist Isabella Aquila to perform an autopsy scheduled for tomorrow at 10 AM. Family-appointed consultant Katiuscia Bisogni will attend.
The inquiry stems from a complaint filed by the family’s lawyer, Arturo Bova. It seeks to clarify whether the delayed ambulance arrival contributed to the death of Carlotta, who was vacationing in Amaroni with her parents after returning from Switzerland.
According to the complaint, the girl fell ill near village fairground rides around 10 PM Saturday, experiencing back pain radiating to her stomach and leg numbness. After initial treatment at Soverato Hospital, doctors ordered her transfer to Catanzaro for further tests.
The filing states her parents repeatedly offered to pay for a private ambulance during the delay but were told by Soverato medical staff they must wait for the dispatched ambulance from Maida. Operators of another 118 ambulance returning empty to Catanzaro also reportedly offered immediate transport upon learning of the emergency but received the same refusal.
The Maida ambulance arrived approximately two hours after the initial request. Upon reaching Catanzaro Hospital, Carlotta developed breathing difficulties, lost consciousness, and died shortly afterward.
Her parents seek to determine through the investigation whether faster intervention could have enabled more effective treatment. Lawyer Bova’s complaint further demands answers about why the ambulance took two hours to reach Soverato Hospital, calling for full transparency. Tomorrow’s autopsy may provide initial evidence for the probe.