Ç. K. (27 years old), who lives in a city in Southeast Turkey visited a public hospital last week. She was referred to the Diyarbakir Obstetrics Hospital and when they found at she was HIV-infected; she was later referred to the Dicle University Hospital.
The standby doctor, F.F., refused to perform the operation. As a result, Ç.K. had to wait in the emergency room for five and half hours. Doctor E.A. accepted to perform the operation and Ç.K. was taken inside the operating room at 21:30.
However, the operation could not start due to lack of necessary tools and protective clothing. The materials were requested from the Diyarbakir Obstetrics Hospital. The surgery started at 22:45 At the end of the operation, assistant D.D. said he/she was stuck with a needle and had to leave the operation. The gloves indicated to be 100 percent protective were not protective. The baby and the assistant are both under observation now.
Doctor E.A. accepted to perform the operation if the family could transfer TL 1500 to his/her account before he/she started the operation. Medical personnel, who did not want to disclose their name, indicated that the University president protected the medical professors and that patients are not taken care of before their family or friends pay an amount directly to the doctor. The medical personnel indicated that the “assistants are working in the policlinic, clinic and stay on duty”.
The Diyarbakir Medical Chamber launched an investigation into the operation of the HIV patient in the University hospital and the negligence that occurred later.
[UPDATE: 1/5/2018]
Ç.K.’s husband M.K said, “Dr. Mustafa Kemal Çelen, who is responsible for clinic for infective diseases said he needed time to prepare the operation room. When everything was ready, doctors and their assistants said they could not do it. Three people walked toward my wife in the clinic and screamed at her.”
M.K further noted, “after my wife was accepted to the hospital, a tall doctor came to my wife and said,”I do not care if you or your child die. I will sit and laugh.” I was requested TL 1500 by the doctor that was going to perform the operation. But, after our situation was reported on the news, my wife was quickly discharged from the hospital, and they did not request any money from us. During our two-day stay, we were treated poorly. Noone cleaned the room or took out the trash in the room. My wife has nightmares of our experiences.”
