A new forensic medical examination confirmed the guilt of medical staff in the death of Meruert Aulbayeva.
According to data from the victim's brother Aitbek Aulbayev, all three operations performed by the surgeon at Balkhash hospital were deemed the cause of death.
Recall, in July 2023, Meruert Aulbayeva contacted the Balkhash clinic with complaints, but was only seen several days later, and the operation to remove her appendix was performed a week later, despite a detected case of peritonitis.
After the operation, she developed sepsis, and three months later, on 6 November, she died. The examination determined the cause of death as multiple organ failure, but did not establish whether it was linked to the doctors' actions.
A commission examination ordered in January 2024 did not take place due to delays by the Balkhash police. Only in May did the results of the new examination confirm a link between the death and the doctors' actions. However, in July, the police ordered a re-examination, which delayed the case.
It was only on 8 August that the case was transferred to the police department of the Karaganda region, and the investigation concluded on 6 November.
However, soon after, the Karaganda Regional Court ordered another re-examination, returning the case to the stage of pre-trial investigation.
The investigation has now been ongoing for 16 months.
As reported by Aitbek Aulbayev, an audit of the actions of law enforcement officers revealed violations that led to disciplinary sanctions, including the dismissal from office of the deputy head of the Balkhash city police department.
The administrative proceedings also affected the medical institution: the hospital and its management were held liable and fined an amount exceeding 6 million tenge. The doctor who performed the operations on Meruert Aulbayeva has been moved to a diagnostic role.
The key development was the receipt of the results of the new forensic medical examination. According to the victim's brother, the examination confirmed a causal link between the actions of the medical staff and Meruert's death.
"All three operations he [the doctor] performed are recognised as the cause of death. He killed her slowly", wrote Aitbek Aulbayev on his personal Facebook page.
The defence team for the suspect has submitted a number of additional questions regarding the examination, concerning the actions of all medical workers involved in the patient's treatment.
According to available information, the investigation plans to complete its inquiry and transfer the materials to the court.