One infant was killed yesterday when the ceiling of the neonatal intensive care unit collapsed due to a burst hot water pipe at the Prof. Dr. Murat Dilmener Emergency Hospital in İstanbul. Seven other infants were evacuated from the unit.
The emergency response teams, including firefighters, were dispatched to the scene to rescue the infants after the incident occurred. The incident was reported late at night, as hospital staff and emergency responders worked to secure the area and ensure the safety of the remaining babies.
The emergency hospital was constructed in just 45 days during the pandemic in 2020, on the grounds of İstanbul's Atatürk Airport. Initially intended as a temporary solution to accommodate pandemic patients, the facility has faced criticism for its infrastructure and safety standards. In April 2023, it became a more permanent hospital to accommodate patients after structural issues were discovered at Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty.
The Health and Social Service Workers' Union (SES) has issued a statement criticizing the hospital administration and calling for a thorough investigation into the incident. The statement emphasized the need for accountability, citing inadequate safety measures and poor facility conditions as contributing factors to the tragedy.
According to SES Aksaray Branch, five of the babies in the unit were intubated, while three were under spontaneous observation. The union's statement highlighted that the staff members involved in evacuating the infants also sustained injuries during the rescue operation.
Lack of appropriate infrastructure
The SES criticized the decision to move a tertiary care university hospital to a facility lacking appropriate infrastructure, noting the absence of essential amenities like pharmacies and medical suppliers nearby. Concerns were also raised about substandard living conditions, including frequent food poisoning incidents and inadequate heating during the winter.
“The healthcare institutions must be safe and secure for both the public and healthcare workers. We do not want our institutions, which are supposed to heal, to become our graves and those of our patients,” said the union.
The SES described the incident as a failure in administrative oversight and a grave example of negligence. The statement criticized the lack of preventive measures and scientific inspections in the facility, as well as the administration's tendency to ignore or delay addressing safety concerns. It also cited previous incidents, such as food poisoning affecting staff and patients, which have not been resolved satisfactorily.
The hospital's quick construction during the pandemic was initially lauded as a significant achievement, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan himself overseeing its inauguration. However, this recent tragedy has prompted calls for a reevaluation of safety standards and facility conditions, as well as an investigation into the decision-making processes involved in the hospital's management. (EMK/VK)
