ISTANBUL — A trial is currently underway involving 47 individuals, including medical professionals and an ambulance driver, who face accusations related to the deaths of ten infants. The incidents are part of a purported scheme aimed at defrauding Turkey’s social security system.
The defendants are alleged to have transferred newborns to neonatal units across 19 private hospitals. Reports indicate that these infants were subjected to extended, and at times unnecessary, medical treatments. Tragically, at least ten babies are said to have died in the past year due to potential neglect or inadequate care in facilities that were not equipped to provide proper treatment.
The trial commenced on Monday in Istanbul, with prosecutors asserting that the accused manipulated medical reports to exaggerate the severity of the infants’ conditions, thereby securing undue payments from the social security institution. The primary defendants have refuted the allegations, arguing that they made decisions in the best interests of the patients and asserting that the adverse outcomes were unavoidable.
This case, which surfaced last month, has provoked significant public backlash, prompting demands for enhanced regulation and oversight within the healthcare sector. In response to the scandal, authorities have rescinded licenses and shut down nine of the implicated hospitals.
Dr. Firat Sari, the lead defendant charged with overseeing neonatal care units in several Istanbul private hospitals, potentially faces a sentence of up to 583 years in prison. His charges include forming an organization to commit crimes, defrauding public institutions, falsification of official documents, and negligent homicide.
During his interrogation, Dr. Sari asserted that there was no failure to provide appropriate care, nor were the neonatal units understaffed, and he maintains that his employees were properly qualified according to a detailed 1,400-page indictment. He told prosecutors, “Everything is in accordance with procedures.”
The case has ignited calls for the resignation of Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu, who held the position of Istanbul provincial health director during the period when some of the fatalities occurred. Opposition leader Ozgur Ozel has advocated for the state to seize and nationalize all hospitals implicated in this troubling scenario.
In a statement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized that those accountable for the infant deaths would face severe penalties, although he cautioned against generalizing the failures to the entire healthcare system. “We will not allow our health care community to be battered because of a few rotten apples,” Erdogan remarked.
More than 350 families have filed petitions with prosecutors or state agencies, seeking investigations into the deaths of their relatives, further highlighting the pervasive concerns regarding patient care and hospital operations in Turkey.