Story By: Feza Uzay, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
A young woman has died during childbirth in Turkey after several hospitals refused to admit her because she had COVID-19.
Donus Kilinc, 32, was nine months pregnant when she caught the virus. Shortly afterwards, while self-isolating at home in Istanbul, she went into labour.
Her husband Ramazan Kilinc drove her to the Pendik Medipol Hospital, however, they were refused entry, according to the news site Gazeteduvar.
Ramazan Kilinc said: “When I said that my wife had COVID-19, they did not even let us in. So I called the hospital director. He told me, ‘we don’t accept patients with COVID-19 to protect the other patients inside. We are not a pandemic hospital’.
“When I insisted, he replied ‘you can come back when your spouse’s COVID-19 test is negative’. Meanwhile, my wife was writhing in pain.”
Ramazan Kilinc then drove to a second hospital, but was told the same thing: “We can’t treat pregnant women with COVID-19.”
The couple, now desperate, tried a third hospital with Donus Kilinc crying in pain on the back seat of the car, but again they were turned away.
Not knowing where to turn, Ramazan Kilinc drove to another private hospital. The staff members were horrified by Donus Kilinc’s condition and, despite being made aware that she had the novel coronavirus, they rushed her straight into surgery.
Sadly, it was too late. Donus Kilinc died on the operating table.
The surgeon asked Ramazan Kilinc: “Why didn’t you bring your wife here first? Why are you so late? Your spouse’s situation was very advanced. We had to intubate her during the operation.”
Surgeons managed to save the baby’s life, but they said the infant would have probably died if Ramazan Kilinc had arrived even a few minutes later.
Speaking to Turkish media, Ramazan Kilinc made an emotional plea direct to the country’s Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca.
He said: “The Ministry of Health says that we are fighting the virus. I lost my wife thanks to the hospital that you formerly owned. Is this how we fight the virus?”
There are around 30,000 new COVID-19 cases reported daily in Turkey amid concerns that the health care system could become overwhelmed.
In recent days, Turkish media reported that an 18-month-old baby with COVID-19 died after being refused entry into an intensive care unit because it was already full. Health authorities have challenged the details of that case.
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