At least 24 UK citizens died after having cosmetic surgery in Turkey since 2019, MP Jones says

British MP Kevan Jones stated that at least 24 British citizens have died after undergoing cosmetic surgery in Turkey since 2019 and added, “Anybody considering cosmetic surgery should not go to Turkey.”

Monday July 17 2023 03:45 pm

Tourism companies present aesthetic surgeries in Turkey as "all-inclusive" packages like a vacation.

Duvar English

United Kingdom’s (UK) Labor Party MP Kevan Jones highlighted the death of at least 24 UK citizens after their “cosmetic surgery tour” to Turkey since 2019 in an article for the Daily Mail.

“When people come home and find they have an infection or have been injured, they naturally turn to the National Health System (NHS), at an estimated cost of millions of pounds over the last few years alone,” Jones wrote to emphasize the devastating impact of “cowboy surgeries” to the UK's domestic health system.

Turkish private hospitals have been organizing health tourism tours with "all-inclusive" packages and host patients in five-star hotels in touristic cities in Turkey, returning them to their home countries a few days after surgery.

The MP stated that social media influencers have been contributing to this “deathly” trend particularly affecting young people. Jones also added that most patients rely on false reviews on the Internet and they usually threaten by Turkish hospitals with non-disclosure agreements signed before the surgery.

“Anybody considering cosmetic surgery should not go to Turkey,” the MP stated and called the government to take urgent action.

Most recently, 38-year-old Leanne Leary, who came to Turkey from the UK for a gastric sleeve operation, lost her life in April 2023. Leary's condition deteriorated rapidly after the operation, and she had a heart attack. Leary's ex-husband told the British press, "I think she only saw the positive reactions and did not read the negative news in the press. She believed she would be absolutely safe."