The mother of a one-and-a-half-year-old boy who suffered severe burns in a Semey maternity hospital is asking for help with her son's treatment. The woman claims the child needs ongoing rehabilitation and surgery. However, doctors currently see no indications for surgical intervention, reports infohub.kz.
Berik-Ali was burned shortly after birth. The infant had a cerebral hemorrhage, after which he underwent surgery. Some time later, black spots and blisters appeared on the child's body.
According to the boy's mother, Kamal Orazgalieva, doctors initially suspected a rare genetic disease as the cause of the lesions. The child was flown by air ambulance to Astana. Later, medics admitted that the infant had been burned in the maternity hospital.
The family was paid 3 million tenge. The parents agreed not to go to court because, as the woman claims, representatives of the medical organization promised to help with the child's further treatment.
"The child is growing. He has developed health problems related to the burns that were not visible at the time. When they paid 3 million tenge, it seemed like it was enough. But now he is undergoing everything paid, and treatment costs a lot of money," said Orazgalieva.
Berik-Ali is now one and a half years old, but he is not yet walking. According to his mother, his left arm barely moves, and scars tighten the skin, preventing him from grasping objects. The family regularly takes the child for paid procedures and insists on surgery.
"The burn is tightening his arm. The scars prevent him from fully grasping objects. He also lags in motor development due to the head injury. We believe he also got that in the maternity hospital, but doctors have not acknowledged it and have not shown camera footage from the delivery room," the boy's mother stated.
The Health Department of the Abai Region said the child is receiving care within the guaranteed volume of free medical assistance. At the same time, doctors currently see no need for surgery or special equipment. They mainly attribute the boy's developmental issues to the consequences of the stroke he suffered.
"This condition is most likely caused by the child's post-stroke state, intrauterine. Therefore, we are continuing rehabilitation. In the future, when the question of cosmetic or plastic surgery arises, we will consider it additionally," said Asem Orynbayeva, deputy head of the Health Department of the Abai Region.
The exact cause of the burns on the child's body has not yet been identified by doctors. According to the department, an internal investigation was conducted after the incident. The check showed that the heating mats in the medical facility were in working order.
Berik-Ali has been recognized as disabled. After the cerebral hemorrhage, a plate was installed in his skull, and extensive scars remain on his arm, back, and leg. The large family hopes that the child will receive the necessary treatment and further rehabilitation for free.