Hugo Orlando Gatti, historic Boca goalkeeper, passed away at 80 years old after being hospitalized for more than 60 days at Pirovano Hospital. His death occurred hours after his family made the difficult decision to remove his mechanical ventilator.
The diagnosis Gatti faced was "pneumonia and heart and kidney failure, in a medically induced coma." Until now, he remained connected to a ventilator; however, this Sunday, those closest to the former footballer arrived at Pirovano Hospital and decided to remove it. "In light of his irreversible health condition, with no possibility of recovery, they will proceed with the removal of mechanical ventilation during the day," states the official medical report.
El Loco had been hospitalized for more than 60 days after suffering a hip fracture that led to a hospital-acquired infection and kidney failure. Meanwhile, the family members held some hope for his recovery. "Anything that isn't worsening is improvement. It's a slow process, and we know we need patience. That's where we are," Lucas, one of his sons, commented less than a week ago.
The former goalkeeper's health problems aren't recent. In 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, he suffered from bilateral pneumonia while in Madrid, where he was part of the well-known Spanish sports program "El Chiringuito de Jugones".
