Chicken doner sent 648 people to the hospital: The victims speak out

Citizens who were poisoned after eating chicken doner in the Körfez district of Kocaeli have described their difficult ordeal. Stating that hospitals were overflowing, some citizens expressed that they have not yet fully recovered. Kayhan Dölcel, who has been unable to leave his home due to the poisoning, voiced his reaction, saying, "If people lose their lives, who will be held accountable for this? They fed the public spoiled products just to earn a few extra pennies. I am officially devastated; I cannot even get up from where I am."

According to the information obtained, a large number of people who bought chicken doner from a business located on Atatürk Street in the Güney neighborhood on the second and third days of the holiday began to experience nausea and vomiting. A total of 648 people showing symptoms of poisoning were taken under treatment at nearby hospitals. While some patients were discharged following intervention, it was learned that the condition of two people receiving treatment in Derince remains critical. Regarding the incident, the business at the center of the complaints was sealed by the Körfez Municipality police teams and closed for a temporary period. Officials from the District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry conducted inspections at the workplace and took samples from various products.   

2 PEOPLE ARRESTED  

Examinations conducted by the Kocaeli Food Control Laboratory determined that the chicken doner sample did not comply with microbiological criteria. Consequently, a criminal complaint was filed against the business. The operators of the doner shop, E.T. and K.Y., were arrested in connection with the incident.

POISONED CITIZENS SPEAK OUT 

Yasin Aydın, who said he ate chicken doner with his friends on the second day of the holiday, stated, 'The poisoning incident lasted for 2 days. We went to eat as 3 friends. One of our friends couldn't eat at all. Our other friend is sick at home and cannot get up due to stomach pain. I also suffered from stomach pain. All 3 hospitals were full. My friend's girlfriend was taken to intensive care, and her brother is hospitalized. We normally ate here often. My thought is that they used the meat from the previous day. I think that is why the poisoning incident occurred,' he said.  

'2 PEOPLE ARE INTUBATED, IF PEOPLE DIE, WHO WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE'

Kayhan Dölcel, who could not leave his house because he was poisoned, said, 'I ate doner on the afternoon of the 3rd day of the holiday. I came home in the evening. My stomach got upset between 23:00 and 00:00. I couldn't leave the bathroom until morning. I went to work in the morning but couldn't stay. I came home and laid down, and I got much worse. I learned from the news that everyone was poisoned. I went to the hospital, and it was our turn after 1.5 hours. The hospital was chaotic. I was given an IV, medication was prescribed, and I was discharged, but I just couldn't recover. Between diarrhea, sweating, and chills, I just couldn't get better. I can't breathe. Doesn't a person know if their goods are spoiled? I am a fisherman; if my goods are spoiled, I throw them in the trash immediately. Isn't it a shame? You are dealing with people's lives. 2 people have been intubated. If people die, who will be held accountable? They fed people spoiled goods to earn 3 pennies. I am completely drained, I cannot get up,' he said.  

'THEY WERE ALL WRITHING IN THE HOSPITAL'

Dölcel stated that he could not go to work because he could not leave the house, adding, "Work has become a problem. While we couldn't bear it in this state, how did the 3-5-year-old children who ate the doner endure it? They were all writhing in the hospital. I was normally going to bring some for my children that day, but I didn't because it was crowded. I wish I hadn't eaten it. The number of those who did not apply to the hospital is also high. 4,000 people ate there. I am not well at all. I am constantly sweating, I cannot sleep. My stomach and all my bones ache. I cannot eat," he expressed. 

Songül Dölcel said, 'My sister and niece came from Germany a month ago. They ate doner at the same shop where the poisoning incident occurred. My niece had stomach pain, vomited, and had diarrhea. When we took her to the hospital, they said she had food poisoning. When this happened to us, we understood the gravity of the situation,' she said.  

CAME FOR THE HOLIDAY, GOT POISONED 

İnanç Çeçen (14), who is under treatment in Istanbul, said, 'I came from Istanbul to visit my relatives in Körfez for the holiday. We went to eat doner. I started vomiting towards the evening. When I continued to vomit, we went to the hospital. I was given an IV. I came home to Istanbul. When I got sick again, I went to the hospital. I have been under treatment for 3 days and I am still in the hospital,' he said.