Tourist loses heart in Turkish hospital (5 photos)

The death of British woman Beth Martin continues to be shrouded in mystery. The 28-year-old mother of two died while on holiday in Turkey. An autopsy in the UK revealed that the woman's heart had been removed.





After a long silence, officials have finally commented on the situation at Marmara University Hospital in Istanbul.

According to the Turkish Ministry of Health, the 28-year-old Portsmouth resident died of multiple organ failure, no operations were performed.



"The patient stated that she may have been poisoned by a meal she had eaten in her home country before her trip. Initial examination results support this assumption," the authorities said.

The hospital performed a "preliminary autopsy without an incision" as part of a forensic examination. The exact cause of death could not be determined.

However, pathologists in the UK found that Beth's heart had been removed.





Martin had arrived on holiday with her husband Luke and their two children, aged eight and five. She became ill on board the plane bound for Istanbul.

By morning, Beth had become delirious and was rushed to Marmara University Hospital (2.5 Google rating).

The patient died on April 29, the day after she was admitted. Relatives say doctors kept them in the dark.



Luke complained that the police had interrogated him and accused him of poisoning his wife.

After much pleading, the man was allowed into the morgue. The grief-stricken husband was allowed to be with his wife "for one minute, no more."

Beth's mother was allowed to say goodbye to her daughter, but with the condition: "Wash your hands, don't touch or kiss her." Once again, the staff was over her shoulder.



Beth's relatives believe that her death could have been caused by either an undiagnosed heart condition or an allergic reaction to penicillin. Luke told doctors about the intolerance, but they still used the antibiotic in the treatment.

In his post on social media, the widower admitted that he was experiencing terrible pain because of Beth's death and the reasons that led to it: "This has been the hardest and most traumatic week of my life. And to top it all off, I had to tell my children that their mother was not coming home. It broke me."