A BRITISH tourist who died after undergoing cosmetic procedures in Turkey has been pictured and named for the first time.
Mentor Rama, 36, was identified locally as the man who collapsed after having a hair transplant followed by dental treatment during a short trip to Istanbul.
Mr Rama arrived in the Turkish city last week for a hair transplant at a clinic in Fulya district, local media reported.
He checked into a hotel in nearby Sisli – a hub for foreign patients – before heading out the next day for dental work at another clinic in the Vadi Istanbul complex.
Turkish outlet Istanbul Today reported say he returned to his hotel and fell suddenly ill, prompting staff to alert emergency services.
He was rushed by ambulance to Seyrantepe Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at around 4.30pm on Tuesday.
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His body was sent to the Council of Forensic Medicine (Adli Tip Kurumu) for autopsy, but officials have not yet released a cause of death.
After the examination, his remains were repatriated to the UK.
Police in Istanbul have since launched an investigation.
Hair transplant and dental trips to Turkey have surged in recent years, with the country now accounting for nearly 60 per cent of the global hair transplant tourism market.
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More than 1 million people travel annually for hair restoration procedures, according to the Turkish Healthcare Travel Council, and Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic predicts 1.1 million patients this year.
Turkey’s cut-price cosmetic market continues to draw huge numbers, with hair transplants costing as little as £1,500 compared with £3,000–£10,000 in the UK.
The Foreign Office has been approached for comment.
It comes after another Brit tourist died after undergoing a hair transplant in Turkey, sparking a police investigation into the private clinic where the procedure was carried out.
The 38-year-old flew to Istanbul and had the five-hour operation on Monday at the CINIK clinic in the city’s Besiktas district.
But shortly after the surgery, the tourist became seriously unwell and was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment, according to Turkish outlet OdaTV.
His body was later taken to the Forensic Medicine Institute for an autopsy before being repatriated to the UK.
Police have launched a probe, treating the case as a possible “reckless homicide”.
Staff at the clinic — including the surgeon who performed the hair transplant, the anaesthesiologist and nurses — have already been quizzed by officers, it is understood.
An FCDO spokesperson told The Sun: “We are supporting the family of a British man who died in Turkey and are in contact with the local authorities.”
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The tragedy comes amid a boom in “medical tourism” to Turkey, which now accounts for nearly 60 per cent of the global hair transplant market thanks to its cheaper, high-quality procedures.
Turkish Healthcare Travel Council says more than one million people travel to the country each year for hair restoration treatments.
