Illegal scalpel drama in Vienna: 35-year-old doctor in court!

Illegal scalpel drama in Vienna: 35-year-old doctor in court!

in Vienna-Landstrasse was made to do an illegal ordination in an apartment in Wassergasse. The 35-year-old Georgian Zurab K. wanted to offer a 59-year-old woman a throat lift-an intervention that finally caused serious consequences. As Krone reported, the accused carried out several cuts in the neck area, which led to massive swelling and breathing problems. The woman had to be treated in an emergency and intensive care after her sister called for help. The accused demanded 1600 euros for the procedure, but there was a lack of any emergency equipment.

The allegation against Zurab K. is serious: although he is considered a respected doctor in Georgia, it has no professional license in Austria. When he was arrested, he stated that he had originally followed the plan to recruit customers and carry out the interventions in his home country. In doing so, he informed the woman in English about the risks, but the Enlightenment was insufficient and professional. The trial will take place on Thursday in the Vienna Regional Court of Criminal Matters, and the defendant threatens one up to ten years.

A look at the international dimension

These incidents are part of a larger context that includes health policy and international drug law, as different analyzes show. International drug policy is regulated by a strict regime based on the unit agreement on the narcotics of 1961 and is complemented by conventions such as the 1971 substances via psychotropic and that against the unauthorized traffic with addiction from 1988. Interestingly, current trends show that more and more countries are pursuing alternative approaches, such as reducing damage or even the legalization of cannabis. This is in contrast to the traditionally repressive drug policy measures.

For example, countries such as Portugal have decriminalized the possession of drugs for personal consumption in 2001, which led to positive results in relation to public health. bpb.de that the legalization and decriminalization of drugs has shot a new discourse on drug policy, which is increasingly from repressive attitude moved away. However, such reforms create tensions with existing international regulations and show that the path to a comprehensive change in drug policy is still wide.

The case Zurab K. makes it clear that the dangers in connection with illegal medical interventions and drug trafficking in Vienna should not be underestimated. It remains to be seen which consequences this case will not only have for the accused, but also for the public discussion about drugs and illegal activities in Austria.