Three adults and a 9-year-old child are in intensive care in the Mangystau region after eating home-cured cold-smoked fish. All the patients showed signs of severe botulism, were placed on ventilators and given anti-botulinum serum, the website infohub.kz reports.
The patients were hospitalized from the Munaily district. Among them is 9-year-old Bekarys Kanatbay, whose condition remains serious. On September 22, the boy's relatives recorded a video appeal to Nurdauler Kilybay, akim of the Mangystau region, and to the leadership of the regional health department. According to the family, the child has been in a serious condition for four days with no noticeable improvement.
The relatives are asking that national-level specialists be sent to Aktau — an intensive care physician, a pediatric nephrologist, an infectious disease specialist and other relevant doctors.
"We believe the child must receive full medical care and needs to be examined by highly qualified specialists," the appeal says.
According to the family, they have already approached the Mangystau region health department. They were told that specialists from Astana are consulting local doctors online and giving treatment recommendations. However, the family is asking for an in-person examination.
"We do not agree to an online format. Aktau is not far away, we ask them to come here and provide urgent help on the spot," the relatives say.
The family insists on a full examination of the child and a medical panel to determine the further treatment strategy without delay. If necessary, the relatives ask that the boy be transported by air ambulance to a higher-level medical facility.
In their appeal, Bekarys's relatives also said that on September 22 another child, aged five, was admitted with a similar poisoning. They asked that he receive urgent medical care as well.