Japanese nurse kills 10 patients, says wanted to trouble hospital

Japanese nurse kills 10 patients, says wanted to trouble hospital
DEUTSCHE PRESSE AGENTUR

TOKYO, JAN 10: Atleast 10 hospital patients were killed after being administered a lethal dose of a muscle relaxant by a male nurse, who was arrested on suspicion of attempting to kill an 11-year-old girl, news reports said on Wednesday.

Asahi Shimun newspaper, quoting police sources, said that the drug, vecuronium bromide, was administered intravenously by Daisuke Mori to 20 patients, 10 of whom died while another eight remain in a critical condition. The other two Hokuryo Clinic patients recovered from the potentially fatal doses. The report said Mori had admitted to attempting to murder the 11-year-old schoolgirl and also confessed to administering the drug to other patients.

At a Sunday’s news conference after the arrest of Mori, clinic’s vice director Ikuko Handa said she grew suspicious of the way the 11-year-old girl’s condition deteriorated. She consulted a forensic medicine expert in November and was told about the possibility of the use of muscle relaxant. She notified police in December. Handa also said she was aware of an ‘‘unnatural’’ fall in the hospital’s supply of muscle relaxant after the suspect began working there. Mori reportedly told police that he was not satisfied with his salary and working conditions and he wanted to put the hospital and its owners into great trouble.