Astana Anesthesiologist Convicted for Teen's Death During Surgery

A court in Astana has found an anesthesiologist guilty of professional negligence leading to the death of a teenage patient during surgery. The doctor was sentenced to two years in prison but was released under a general amnesty, though he is banned from practicing medicine for three years.

The case centered on a procedure performed on July 29, 2024. The minor patient had been hospitalized days earlier with chronic polypous polysinusitis and was scheduled for a planned endoscopic sinusotomy under general inhalation anesthesia with invasive lung ventilation.

The court established that during the operation, a defect in medical care occurred due to the anesthesiologist's actions. Specifically, blood entered the patient's airways because of a leak in the intubation tube. This led to aspiration, the development of complications, and ultimately the child's death.

The physician's guilt was confirmed by witness testimonies, forensic medical examination conclusions, and materials from the official investigation. While the prosecutor requested a two-year prison term with a ban on medical work—applying amnesty to waive the imprisonment—the defendant did not admit guilt and sought acquittal. The victim's family asked for a stricter punishment.

In its verdict, the court classified the crime as one of negligence and minor gravity. Citing the mandatory application of an amnesty act marking the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan's Constitution, it freed the convicted doctor from serving the prison sentence. However, the three-year ban on any work related to providing medical care remains in full force.