Just recently, the FB RK editorial team reported that the pre-trial investigation into the death of a Balkhash resident, Meruert Aulbayeva, due to medical negligence, which had lasted nearly a year, had finally concluded.
However, the defence of the accused doctor is now demanding a re-examination, which risks dragging Meruert's tragic death case out for an indefinite period once again.
Meruert's brother – Aitbek Aulbayev – on his personal Facebook page said that the defence initially appealed to the investigation court, claiming that the experts handling the investigation had not answered all their questions.
However, according to him, the experts confirmed a clear link between Meruert's death and the inaction of doctors at the Balkhash polyclinic.
The investigation court refused the defence's request for a re-examination.
Subsequently, the defence filed an appeal with the criminal division of the Karaganda Regional Court, where it was deemed that the situation required further study and ordered a new forensic medical examination.
Meruert's brother believes the defence is trying to deliberately prolong the court proceedings.
"In general, this complaint and the examination itself are only needed to buy more time, because the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution under this article is two years, one of which has already passed," Aitbek Aulbayev stated.
Earlier, our editorial team sent an official request to the police department of the Karaganda region, where we were informed that, as a result of the investigation, an employee of a multi-specialty hospital in Balkhash was held criminally liable under Article 317, Part 3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Improper performance of professional duties by a medical or pharmaceutical worker).
The department did not disclose information about their identity, nor the sentence imposed.
Recall that in July 2023, Meruert Aulbayeva repeatedly appealed to the Balkhash polyclinic with complaints about her health, but she was only seen several days later, and surgery to remove her appendix was performed only a week after that, despite the fact that ultrasound results from the initial consultation had already revealed peritonitis.
Meruert developed sepsis and lived with it for three months. On 6 November 2023, the woman passed away.
A post-mortem examination, conducted in December last year, established that the cause of death was multi-organ failure following the appendectomy. However, the examination did not answer the main question — whether there was a link between the doctors' actions and Meruert's death.
In January 2024, a panel of experts was commissioned, which never took place because the Balkhash police failed to submit the materials to the experts in time.
It was only in February that an additional panel of experts was successfully commissioned. It was only completed in mid-May, and the results, according to Meruert's brother, were conclusive: the experts provided a detailed account of the link between the patient's death and the actions of the doctors.
In July, the Balkhash police again ordered the same examination, which, according to Aitbek Aulbayev, merely delayed the investigation.
On 8 August 2024, the criminal case was transferred for investigation to the police department of the Karaganda region. And only on 6 November did the investigation finally conclude.
The history of the examinations in this case was not only drawn out but also became a stark example of how easily the process can be stalled through bureaucratic red tape and delays.
Meanwhile, the circumstances surrounding Meruert's death remain unclear, a year on.