‘Newborn gang’ goes on trial for Istanbul health care fraud scheme

ISTANBUL

In the opening trial on Nov. 18, an Istanbul court heard the testimonies of health workers accused of being part of a gang responsible for the deaths of 10 infants in an alleged scheme to defraud Türkiye’s social security system.

The session at the Bakırköy Courthouse started later than planned due to the high number of observers wanting to attend the proceedings.

Among the 47 people on trial are doctors, nurses, and an ambulance driver. The defendants are accused of transferring babies to the neonatal units of 19 private hospitals, where the newborns were allegedly subjected to prolonged and sometimes unnecessary treatments. At least 10 newborns are alleged to have died in the past year due to neglect or malpractice in facilities that were unprepared to treat them.

Dr. Fırat Sarı, the main defendant who operated the neonatal intensive care units of several private hospitals in Istanbul, is facing a sentence of up to 583 years in prison.

During the hearing on Monday, the ringleader disclosed to the court that his monthly income amounted to 400,000 Turkish Liras.

The prosecution on Monday asserted that additional families might have fallen victim to the group and confirmed that new complaints are being reviewed as part of the ongoing investigation.

The prosecutor stated that the defendants falsified reports to exaggerate the babies' conditions, intending to secure payments from the social security institution.

The main defendants have denied any wrongdoing, insisting they made the best possible decisions and face punishment for unavoidable, unwanted outcomes.

The case, which came to light last month, has sparked public outrage and led to calls for greater oversight of the health care system. Authorities have since revoked the licenses and closed nine of the 19 hospitals that were implicated in the scandal.

During questioning by prosecutors, Sari denied accusations that the babies were not given the proper care, that the neonatal units were understaffed, or that his employees were not appropriately qualified, according to a 1,400-page indictment.

“Everything is in accordance with procedures,” he told prosecutors.

According to state media, over 350 families have petitioned prosecutors or other state institutions, seeking investigations into the deaths of their loved ones.