Woman declared dead in Ecuador revives during her wake; health authorities investigate
By GONZALO SOLANO
Associated Press
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — A 76-year-old woman who was declared dead at a hospital in Ecuador astonished her relatives by knocking on her coffin during her wake. The incident last Friday has prompted a government investigation into the hospital. The woman’s son, Gilberto Barbera, says relatives left the coffin behind and rushed Bella Montoya back to the hospital in the central city of Babahoyo. Barbera says the incident gave everyone a fright. He also says that his mother’s condition remains serious. Ecuador’s Health Ministry says it’s investigating doctors involved in her case at the MartÃn Icaza Hospital. The ministry says a technical committee has been formed to review how the hospital issues death certificates.
