Woman forgotten in MRI machine lives a nightmare: 'I was terrified'

Esra Akgüneş, a mother of three living in İzmir, visited the Neurology Clinic at Tire State Hospital yesterday complaining of dizziness. Following a doctor's examination, Akgüneş was given an MRI appointment for the same day. Staff told Akgüneş, who was placed in the machine at 11:45 AM, that the procedure would take 10-15 minutes.

However, despite a long time passing, Akgüneş remained inside the machine. Feeling unwell in the device, Akgüneş realized she had been forgotten and, in a panic, began shouting and punching the machine to make herself heard.

After no one came, Akgüneş managed to get out of the machine on her own. When she left the MRI room and explained the situation to a secretary she happened to encounter, she received the response, "Get well soon, explain the situation to the chief physician's office." Akgüneş then called the 184 Ministry of Health Communication Center to file a complaint and subsequently went to the hospital's Chief Physician's Office to report the incident. Akgüneş was sent home after officials from the Chief Physician's Office stated they would "look into the matter."

"WHAT IF I HAD A HEART ATTACK AND DIED?"

Unable to overcome the trauma she experienced, Esra Akgüneş stated that she would not let this negligence go and said the following:

"I came in with vertigo complaints, and I stayed for nearly an hour in a place they said would take 15 minutes. My eyes were closed because I was dizzy. When I realized I had been forgotten, I was terrified. What if I had had a heart attack from the panic and died there? Who at Tire State Hospital would have been held accountable for that? This is irresponsibility. I will pursue my rights to the end to ensure those responsible are found, and I am filing a complaint."

The İzmir Provincial Health Directorate announced that an investigation has been launched into those responsible for the incident.