Doctor Death: Doctor Accused of killing 300 Patients

A Brazilian doctor who appeared in court for allegedly killing seven patients could be responsible for up to 300 deaths to free up hospital beds in the south east city of Curitiba, multiple media reports suggest. Virginia Helena Soares de Souza recruited a group of doctors to help administer lethal doses of anesthetics, sedatives and pain killers according to authorities. In addition the group allegedly altered oxygen levels for patients leading to deaths by asphyxiation, police said. Prosecutors alleged Souza pulled the plug on victims against the wishes of the patients and their families, and in so doing broke the law. She did that to free up beds in the intensive care unit (ICU) and clear up the "clutter" the patients were causing, according to police. Investigators say between 2006 and 2013, Souza ordered medical professionals working under her at an intensive care unit to alter medications and oxygen levels. During the seven years the incidents occured, in cases where Souza did not prescribe the drugs herself, she ordered other doctors to change mechanical ventilation devices, according to police. She allowed them access to medical records to issue prescriptions in her name, police said. Her lawyer, Elia Mattar Assad, said she will prove that her orders in the ICU were backed and justified by medical literature. Some of the patients were awake and conscious moments before the drugs were administered. Euthanasia is considered a crime in Brazil.