Health company admits Maradona test mix-up in trial

Swiss Medical, a health insurance company, admitted to a mix-up involving medical tests presented during the trial over the death of former football star Diego Maradona. The tests, released to a medical commission investigating Maradona's passing, were mistakenly filed under the name of his father, Diego Salustiano Maradona, who passed away in 2015, five years prior to Maradona.

The error was discovered last week by a lawyer representing one of seven healthcare professionals facing trial regarding Maradona's demise in November 2020 at the age of 60. Maradona succumbed to heart failure and acute pulmonary oedema after surgery for a brain clot in a rented home in Buenos Aires' Tigre two weeks earlier. His medical team is being accused of providing inadequate care prior to his death, while his lawyers deny the allegations.

The trial's focus has been on Maradona's kidney health, with a nephrologist testifying that doctors should have paid more attention to the issue. However, it appears he was relying on the incorrect test results, which led to the suspension of proceedings for a week. This incident comes on the heels of a previous trial collapse in 2022 due to a conflict of interest involving one of the judges. The current trial, which began in April, is anticipated to continue until at least September.