CHP MP makes striking claim regarding 'dialysis machine deaths'

CHP Bursa MP Kayıhan Pala and Samsun MP Murat Çan held a press conference at the Parliament. Recalling that patients who underwent dialysis at Burdur State Hospital on May 25 fell ill after their sessions, Pala stated that these patients were brought back to the hospital and that a total of 33 patients were transferred to various hospitals in Afyonkarahisar, Antalya, and Isparta.

Pala stated that despite 5 days having passed since the incident in Burdur, no statement has been made by the Burdur Governor's Office or the Ministry of Health, and noted that the CHP Headquarters had assigned a task force to this matter on Sunday.

Explaining that a delegation including CHP Deputy Chairman responsible for health Zeliha Aksaz Şahbaz, Samsun MP Murat Çan, and himself wanted to visit patients and their relatives in Afyonkarahisar, Burdur, and Antalya over two days to obtain information, Pala said, "We experienced a very serious problem regarding obtaining information, especially from Afyon State Hospital. Let alone getting information, we were even prevented from meeting with the patients' relatives. I want to ask the Minister of Health: What is the goal of not informing the public correctly and adopting a stance far from transparency, especially in such incidents? If there is nothing to hide, the patients, their relatives, and the entire public should be informed and enlightened in a short time."

"HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS ARE AFRAID TO PROVIDE INFORMATION"

Pala stated that they could not meet with the Burdur Governor, for whom they had made an appointment, and assessed, "The Governor avoiding meeting with us on both days is absolutely unacceptable in terms of public administration. Hospital administrators are afraid to provide information. Governors and provincial health directors are hesitant to be with MPs and deputy chairmen."

Stating that they had the chance to meet with patients' relatives in Antalya, Pala said they received information from the authorities of three hospitals in Antalya, visited one patient, and met with the patients' relatives.

Conveying that the patients' relatives stated that no official from Burdur had called them, Pala said, "Our impression—and we are sharing these as allegations since there is no official statement—is that a chemical used in the hospital's air conditioning system leaked into the purification system and from there, unfortunately, into the pure water tank used for dialysis. Patients who have to undergo dialysis with pure water fell ill after dialysis because a chemical leaked into it and it became contaminated. We lost another patient this morning. Two of the 33 patients have now passed away. The Minister of Health must make a statement regarding what happened. We will also bring the allegations regarding the incident to the agenda with parliamentary questions."

CHP Samsun MP Murat Çan also noted the following regarding the issue:

"As we saw that the doors of the state were closed to us, especially in Afyon and Burdur, we thought that the dimensions of the scandal were being covered up. Our patients faced a very serious clinical picture after being exposed to a chemical substance, a toxic substance. According to our estimates, it appears that an antifreeze solution mixed into the filtration fluid of the dialysis unit."

Çan stated that they are demanding the removal of the Burdur Governor and the relevant bureaucrats from their duties.

News Source: AA

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