The UK High Court has awarded £858,000 in damages to Nigerian parents following the tragic death of their daughter, Khelisyah Ashamu, who died after undergoing weight-loss surgery in Turkey.
Khelisyah Ashamu, a 26-year-old IT professional and mother of one from Romford, died just eight days after having a gastric bypass procedure at a hospital in Izmir in February 2019.
Her parents, Toyin and Oyebanji Ashamu, pursued legal action in the UK, leading to the ruling in which a UK court awarded £858,000 to Nigerian parents over death of daughter after Turkish surgery.
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According to court records, Ashamu had travelled to Turkey after arranging the procedure through a British expatriate-run medical tourism company, Get Slim in Turkey. She reportedly paid £3,300 for the surgery and accommodation.
Following the operation, her health deteriorated rapidly, and she suffered a cardiac arrest after undergoing a second exploratory surgery. She died on February 9, 2019.
A coroner later ruled that her death was caused by gastrointestinal ischaemia, a condition involving reduced blood flow to the intestines, which resulted from complications of the surgery.
Her parents subsequently filed a High Court claim against Tracey Ozdemir, who trades as Get Slim in Turkey, arguing that the company was legally responsible as the organiser of a medical travel package.
Although liability was denied, the court found in favour of the Ashamu family. Justice Mrs Obi ruled that there had been inadequate post-operative monitoring and airway care following the second surgery.
She also held that the company was responsible for the overall delivery of the medical tourism package, including proper aftercare, since it actively marketed and sold the service.
In delivering the judgment, the judge awarded £858,000 in compensation, expressing sympathy to the grieving parents. She noted that while no amount of money could make up for their loss, she hoped the ruling would offer some comfort and closure.
The case has renewed scrutiny of medical tourism arrangements, particularly as a UK court awards £858,000 to Nigerian parents over death of daughter after Turkish surgery, highlighting accountability beyond borders.