Turkish Red Crescent to pay compensation after causing death of man by giving him blood with HIV

A court has found the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) at fault after it caused the death of a patient by giving him blood with HIV in 2011. Accordingly, the charity and an Istanbul private hospital where the blood transfusion took place, will pay a compensation in the amount of 770,000 liras to the family of the deceased.

Thursday April 20 2023 04:33 pm

Duvar English

An Istanbul court has ordered the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) to pay compensation to a man for giving him blood with HIV and causing his death, the daily Hürriyet reported on April 20.

The case concerns the death of 52-year-old Ahmet Emin Bilgin in 2011. Bilgin, suffering from kidney failure, went through a transplant procedure at Medikal Park Göztepe Hospital and received the kidney of his mother. However following the operation, Bilgin’s health deteriorated and died in mere days.

Upon the family’s complaint, the Health Ministry assigned inspectors to investigate the issue who determined that blood transferred to Bilgin during the operation had HIV in it. The blood had been received from Kızılay.

The family in 2013 filed a lawsuit against Kızılay and Medikal Park Göztepe Hospital. In December 2022, the court found both Kızılay and the hospital at fault, ordering them to pay 770,000 liras in compensation to the family.

“It should be accepted that Kızılay is the primary negligent party in the event that occurred. It has been evaluated that the defendant Kızılay is responsible for the damage that occurred,” the court ruling said.