Authorities in the North Kazakhstan Region are investigating the death of a pregnant woman who died after emergency hospitalization. Relatives of the deceased claim the tragedy was caused by the poor condition of the road, which forced the ambulance to travel for more than an hour and a half. Following the incident, local officials promised to repair the problematic section, reports infohub.kz.
The tragedy occurred in the Zhambyl District of the North Kazakhstan Region. According to relatives, on the evening of July 3, 34-year-old Darima Sagdeyeva, who was in the final months of pregnancy, suddenly fell ill. She lost consciousness, prompting the family to call an ambulance.
Azamat Sagdeyev, the victim's husband, believes the tragedy could have been avoided if his wife had been taken to the hospital faster. "At midnight, they took her by ambulance to the district hospital in Presnovka. I followed the ambulance in my car. The driver drove slowly. We stopped several times. I asked why they were driving so slowly. He said my wife was screaming in pain at every bump. At the village of Aymzhan, a second ambulance — a reanimation vehicle — was waiting. They took my wife from there. Thirty-seven kilometers on a broken road took an hour and a half. They got her to the hospital. But at four in the morning, they told me they couldn't save her," he said.
According to the husband, doctors reported that the woman's heart stopped twice during transport. The cause of death was a ruptured uterus and internal bleeding. Doctors were also unable to save the baby.
The victim's father, Marat Rakhmetov, said Darima was his only remaining child. "She was my only daughter. I had a son — he died. Then my wife died. Now I've lost my daughter. Darima and her husband lived in the city. After I was left alone, they moved to the village. I lived with them for these three years. My daughter worked here as a teacher and head of studies. Everyone respected her. Now I have two grandsons. They haven't been told about what happened yet. They were told their mother is on a business trip," the father said.
Following the tragedy, the police department of the North Kazakhstan Region launched a criminal investigation into the death. A pre-trial inquiry is underway, and a procedural decision will be made based on its results.
The family of Darima Sagdeyeva is demanding an objective investigation and believes that not only the actions of the medics but also the condition of the road on which the patient was transported should be assessed.
After the case gained public attention, regional authorities said that repairs to the Presnovka – Kairankol road would receive priority funding. As reported by Nurlan Kenesov, deputy akim of the North Kazakhstan Region, the work will be carried out in three stages. "Today, we will carry out the work in three stages. The first stage is from Kairankol to the village of Ukrainskoye, the second from Ukrainskoye to Blagoveshchenka, and then to Presnovka. For the first stage, design and estimate documentation is ready, and an expert opinion has been obtained. A contractor will be selected soon, after which work will begin," he stated.
Meanwhile, residents of the Zhambyl District continue to post photos and videos of the destroyed road on social media. The victim's family is awaiting the results of a forensic medical examination, which are expected within a month.