Argentine doctors investigated for stealing anesthetics from hospital for use at private parties
Zalazar, an anesthesiologist on duty at the Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital, was found dead in his apartment with an intravenous line connected to his foot
The death of a 31-year-old anesthesiologist in Buenos Aires on February 20 has triggered a judicial investigation into the systematic theft of fentanyl and propofol from a major private hospital and their recreational use at private gatherings known in medical circles as Propo Fest.
Alejandro Zalazar, an anesthesiologist on duty at the Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital and a former resident at the Rivadavia Hospital, was found dead in his apartment in the Palermo neighborhood with an intravenous line connected to his right foot, disposable injection supplies, and vials of propofol and fentanyl — two drugs not sold in pharmacies and distributed exclusively to hospitals for use in surgeries and sedation procedures. The autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was an overdose of both substances, resulting in congestion, pulmonary edema, and meningoencephalic edema.
Tracing the medications found at his home established that they originated from the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, an institution where Zalazar did not work. The investigation, opened on February 23 under case file No. 8922/2026, identified two professionals as suspected of diverting the drugs: Hernán Boveri, a staff anesthesiologist, and Delfina Lanusse, a third-year anesthesiology resident. Both have been questioned by the court. Boveri resigned from the hospital after the origin of the substances was traced; Lanusse is reportedly on medical leave. The alleged offenses span from 2023 to mid-February 2026.
On March 12, the court ordered three raids carried out by the Buenos Aires City Police’s Criminal Organizations Division, which yielded positive results, according to the daily La Nación citing judicial sources. The case centers on the charge of fraudulent administration to the detriment of the Hospital Italiano.
According to court documents, the anesthetics were consumed outside the medical act, without clinical indication, without monitoring, and in settings unrelated to any healthcare practice. In parallel, audio recordings and messages circulating among health professionals describe the Propo Fest: gatherings at which a group of anesthesiologists and residents from several Buenos Aires hospitals administered the drugs to themselves using infusion pumps, with a designated person manually ventilating anyone who suffered apnea as a result of sedation. These accounts, however, have not been entered into the judicial file.
Propofol and fentanyl have an extremely narrow therapeutic range: a minimal difference in dosage can turn a sedative effect into lethal respiratory depression.
The Hospital Italiano said Monday that all necessary measures were taken to analyze what happened and that all individuals involved no longer hold positions at the institution. The hospital said it is working with the Buenos Aires Association of Anesthesia, Analgesia, and Resuscitation to strengthen controls and prevent similar cases at other healthcare facilities.
