A criminal case has been opened in Aktau after the parents of a 9-year-old boy reported that their child lost part of his jaw due to treatment at a dental clinic, according to infohub.kz.
The boy, a resident of Aktau, was earlier hospitalized in serious condition after a tooth procedure at the regional dental center. His family believes the complications stemmed from the medical treatment and is pushing for a criminal investigation.
According to the parents, the procedure was performed under anesthesia without a preliminary X-ray. The tooth was not filled afterward, and a follow-up appointment was scheduled for two weeks later. Medical records, they say, already listed the treatment as completed.
Later, in Astana, the boy was diagnosed with osteomyelitis and sequestration of the lower jaw. During two operations, doctors removed about 15 grams of destroyed bone tissue.
The dental center's management admitted that the doctors' main mistake was the lack of an X-ray examination, a local TV channel reported.
"They made it worse. They didn't take an X-ray. They should have. Then everything would have been visible, and maybe the process had already been going on before. Legally, they are young specialists, they just graduated from the institute, completed their residency, all as required, they have diplomas. I immediately issued a reprimand, not a warning. The second doctor is pregnant. By law, I cannot fire her. This happens once in a thousand cases. In my 30 years of practice, I have never seen anything like this," the TV channel quoted the director of the Regional Dental Center, Galymzhan Koyanbayuly, as saying.
The police department of Mangistau Region has opened a criminal case under the article "Improper performance of professional duties by a medical worker." The sanction ranges from a fine to two years in prison.
"A criminal case has been initiated under Part 2 of Article 317 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. All necessary investigative actions are currently being carried out to comprehensively, fully and objectively establish the circumstances of the incident. An appropriate procedural decision will be made based on the results of the investigation. No further information is subject to disclosure in the interests of the investigation," police said in a statement.