An ambulance carrying Diego Maradona leaves Clinica Olivos to take him home after his brain surgery. Photo / Getty
An ambulance carrying Diego Maradona leaves Clinica Olivos to take him home after his brain surgery. Photo / Getty
Diego Maradona's long-term doctor and lawyer have spoken out about the football legend's medical care before his death.
Maradona died at the age of 60 from a heart attack at his private home in Tigre on the outskirts of Buenos Aires after having brain surgery two weeks ago.
In astunning statement released on Thursday night, Maradona's lawyer Matias Morla claimed the first ambulance took half an hour to arrive and called the delay "criminal idiocy".
Maradona had a nurse looking after him, who called emergency services. Responders tried to revive him but it was too late.
"Today is a day of deep pain, sadness and reflection," Morla wrote.
"I feel in my heart the departure of a friend whom I honoured with my loyalty and companionship until his last days. I made my farewell with him in person and the wake should be an intimate occasion.
"It is inexplicable that for 12 hours my friend has not had attention or control from the legal health personnel.
"The ambulance took more than half an hour to arrive, which was CRIMINAL IDIOCY.
"This fact should not be overlooked and I am going to ask that the consequences be investigated until the end. As Diego said, 'You are my soldier, act without mercy'."
An ambulance carrying Diego Maradona leaves Clinica Olivos to take him home after his brain surgery. Photo / Getty
Alfredo Cahe, who was Maradona's doctor for more than 30 years and helped him treat his cocaine addiction, also questioned the decision to move the Argentina superstar from hospital on November 11 following his brain surgery.
He told Argentine news show Telefe Noticias: "Diego wasn't looked after as he should have been.
"He should have been kept in hospital, not taken to a house which wasn't properly prepared.
"I'm in a state of complete shock. I've had so many ups and downs with Diego for 33 years and he's just died in an unusual way.
"I have a lot of doubts. I don't know why he was taken to that house.
"When he left hospital it didn't seem logical to me. He should have stayed in a place with a good infrastructure, like when we took him to Cuba."
Diego Maradona died at the age of 60. Photo / Getty
Cahe said he visited Maradona after his operation but wasn't able to speak to him because of the medication he was on.
"A woman close to him told me Diego had told her that he was deeply distressed. And that he felt he had done everything in life," Cahe said.
The first photo of Maradona to emerge after his operation was with his youngest son Diego Fernando, which would ultimately be his last following his tragic death.
