Parents Awarded £858,000 After Daughter's Tragic Death Following Turkish Weight Loss Surgery
The grieving parents of a young mother who died after undergoing budget weight loss surgery in Turkey have secured a substantial £858,000 compensation payout following a landmark High Court ruling. Khelisyah Ashamu, a 26-year-old IT worker from Romford and mother to a young child, tragically passed away just eight days after a gastric bypass operation at a hospital in Izmir in February 2019.
A Fatal Journey for Medical Tourism
Miss Ashamu had struggled with her weight and was particularly concerned about the appearance of her stomach following a Caesarean section. After researching options, she turned to the British expatriate-run medical tourism agency Get Slim in Turkey, operated by Tracey Ozdemir. She paid £3,300 for a package that included the surgical procedure and accommodation, travelling to Turkey in January 2019 with hopes for a transformative outcome.
The chosen operation was a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, a complex procedure that involves separating the upper stomach from the lower portion and connecting it directly to the small intestine. This surgery significantly restricts food intake by creating a smaller stomach pouch, but carries substantial risks if not performed and monitored correctly.
Catastrophic Post-Operative Complications
Miss Ashamu underwent the initial surgery on February 1, 2019, but was left in significant pain. She required exploratory follow-up surgery just two days later on February 3. Following this second procedure, she was moved to intensive care, but senior judge Mrs Justice Obi found there had been "inadequate post-operative monitoring and airway care."
No proper monitoring was recorded before Miss Ashamu suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, which left her in a coma. Her father flew to Turkey to be by her side, and although initially told she was responding to treatment, a brain surgeon subsequently confirmed she was brain dead. Her life support was withdrawn without her family's knowledge or her father's presence at the hospital.
"He arrived at the hospital, after previously returning to his accommodation, on 9th February 2019, to be told by hospital staff that the deceased was in a body bag in the morgue," revealed her barrister, Dominique Smith, in court documents. A coroner later recorded the cause of death as gastrointestinal ischaemia – a lack of blood flow to the intestines resulting from surgical complications.
High Court Battle and Legal Precedent
Miss Ashamu's parents, Toyin and Oyebanji Ashamu, launched a High Court claim against Tracey Ozdemir, trading as Get Slim in Turkey, seeking compensation for their daughter's estate. Mrs Ozdemir denied liability, arguing she was merely an "introducer" connecting patients with the Turkish hospital rather than an "organiser" of the package.
However, Mrs Justice Obi ruled decisively against this defence, finding that Get Slim in Turkey had actively marketed surgical packages that included the procedure itself alongside airport transfers, hotel accommodation, and hospital stays. The judge noted that Mrs Ozdemir's use of language such as "our surgeon" was inconsistent with the role of a mere introducer.
The court determined there was both a "package travel contract" and a consumer contract between Get Slim and Miss Ashamu, with the surgery representing a significant and essential component of the package's value. As the organiser of this package travel contract, Mrs Ozdemir was held liable for the proper performance of both the surgery and the aftercare.
Substantial Compensation and Judicial Condolences
Since Mrs Ozdemir did not challenge the amount of damages claimed, the judge awarded the full £858,000 to Miss Ashamu's family. A separate claim against the Turkish medical professionals was not pursued. Addressing the bereaved parents after delivering her judgment, Mrs Justice Obi offered her sincere condolences, acknowledging the profound difficulty of the legal proceedings.
"I recognise how difficult these proceedings must have been for you and I offer my sincere condolences for the loss of your daughter," she stated. "Of course, nothing this court can do can lessen that loss for you and your family, but I hope the conclusion of these proceedings will bring some measure of consolation."
This case establishes significant legal precedent regarding the responsibilities of medical tourism agencies, clarifying that organisers of such packages bear liability for the medical procedures included within them, not merely the travel and accommodation components. The ruling serves as a stark warning to the burgeoning medical tourism industry about the serious consequences of inadequate oversight and post-operative care.
