Shortness of Incubators Stirs Ethical Issues in Turkey

Meral Er, a pregnant woman who applied to give birth in Istanbul Medical School, has been transferred to another hospital, as officials said that the inborn baby was documented to be 90 percent mentally disabled and the hospital was short of incubators. 

“We have transferred the patient because we are short of incubators in the hospital and we are unable to provide long term healthcare for a new born infant with a high degree mental disability,” Istanbul Medical School Gynecology Institute Chairperson Prof. Dr. Lemi İbrahimoğlu told bianet. 

Dr. Ali Çerkezoğlu, general secretary of Istanbul Chamber of Medicines, said hospitals must provide all necessary needs of patients regardless of infants’ condition on disabilities. 

According  to an article on Zaman newspaper, Istanbul Medical School allegedly issued a document allowing Meral Er to have abortion on the 35th week of her pregnancy. 

Refusing the abortion option, Er reportedly applied to Birth Department as first signals of birth emerged. 

The department transferred her to another hospital, saying that they were short of incubators and “life-promising” babies needed incubators more than an infant with 90 percent mental disability. 

İbrahimoğlu: We are short of incubators 

That article was biased, Prof. Dr. İbrahimoğlu told bianet. 

“We only admit emergency cases here. We find it more convenient to transfer a patient before giving birth. There are issues with incubators. Therefore, we recommend patients to give birth in other hospitals.” 

“That article is a bit deliberate. It is valid for all hospitals. Keeping an incubator occupied for months for a disabled infant with low chance of survival is creating an issue with the care of other healthy infants. Therefore, we transfer patients like that to other hospitals. We are seriously short of incubators.” 

İbrahimoğlu continued that pediatrists transferred patient to private or public hospitals according to their availability and the hospital provided ambulance services whenever it is available.  

Çerkezoğlu: No division between disabled and healthy infants

Dr. Ali Çerkezoğlu, general secretary of Istanbul Chamber of Medicines, said hospitals must treat patients equidistantly regardless of infants’ condition.  

"Both from a medicine perspective and ethically, a physician must not approach the issue on who should be given the priority. This is an management mentality. A supervisor can tell you this, but a physician should not. You can’t make a division between a healthy and disabled infant. If there is a need for incubator, you must provide it. "

Having given birth at another hospital, Er and her baby were reported to have a heathy attitude. (EA/BM)

* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.