A criminal group in the healthcare sector has allegedly been exploiting newborns with health problems to generate illegal profits, a year and a half-long investigation has revealed.
The group involving doctors and emergency call center workers, publicly dubbed as the “Newborn Gang,” is responsible for the deaths of at least 12 infants, according to the indictment filed on Oct 16.
The scheme involved directing newborns with health issues to private hospitals, where members of the gang had connections. In many cases, these hospitals either administered treatments and medications that were not required or were ill-equipped to handle the babies’ medical needs.
The private hospitals involved billed the SGK and the families excessive charges, resulting in significant profits for the gang members.
Prosecutor threatened in his office
The Büyükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation on May 21, 2023, after a complaint from İstanbul’s Provincial Health Directorate.
As of June 20, 2023, multiple operations resulted in the detention of several suspects. Among them were individuals with direct ties to private hospitals involved in the scheme.
An indictment against 47 suspects, 22 of whom are currently remanded in custody, was issued on Oct 16.
The filing of the indictment followed a public outrage, which was triggered by a video leaked on social media earlier this week, where a man apparently affiliated with the gang was threatening the prosecutor conducting the investigation in his office.
In the secretly recorded video, the man who introduces himself as a former law enforcement official, warns the prosecutor that the people involved are extremely dangerous, are following him and his family, and will harm his relatives if he does not cover up the case.
Hospital licenses revoked
The SGK confirmed today that its inspectors, including three chief inspectors and three regular inspectors, are conducting investigations into the hospitals under contract with SGK.
In addition, it revoked the licenses of nine hospitals in İstanbul. One of those hospitals, the Şafak Hospital in the Bağcılar district, had its operations suspended in September for its alleged involvement in the scheme.
Further claims
Following the revelations, numerous parents have come forward on social media, alleging that their own newborns may have been subjected to similar mistreatment by private hospitals.
SGK has stated that, under current regulations, it primarily audits hospitals on financial and billing matters, suggesting that broader reforms may be necessary to prevent such abuses in the future.
The Turkish Medical Association (TTB) blamed the government for the incident, asserting that it was a result of the policies focusing on profitability and “turning hospitals into businesses and patients into customers.” (VK)