Surgeon Found Dead in Operating Room After Taking Drug Cocktail

A Romanian surgeon, identified as Dr. Stefania Szabo, has been found dead inside an operating room after allegedly taking a cocktail of drugs to cope with extreme exhaustion from her long work hours.

The tragic incident occurred on October 28th, 2025, at Buzau County Hospital in Buzau, located northeast of Bucharest, Romania.

Dr. Szabo, who served as both a surgeon and the medical director of the hospital, was known for working up to 32-hour shifts. According to reports, one of her colleagues admitted to giving her a dose of a strong anaesthetic in her office shortly before her death.

Investigators revealed that before the incident, the doctor had removed several drugs from the hospital pharmacy, claiming they were needed for a patient. When she was found, an empty syringe was discovered nearby, along with several boxes of sedatives and prescription painkillers.

An initial autopsy confirmed the presence of a powerful anaesthetic in her system, though toxicology tests are ongoing to determine the dosage and whether it directly caused her death.

Dr. Szabo was buried in her hospital uniform, with her stethoscope placed beside her inside the coffin. Her funeral took place in Bucharest on Saturday, November 2nd.