Police report reveals health care fraud in neonatal ICUs

ISTANBUL

A police report has been filed against 47 individuals, including 22 currently in custody, for conspiring with employees of the 112 Emergency Call Center in Istanbul.

The suspects, which include doctors and nurses, are accused of referring infant emergency patients to private hospitals in exchange for financial gains.

The investigation report revealed that infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) were subjected to “passive euthanasia,” a practice not permitted in Türkiye.

Babies who had been cured were deliberately kept in intensive care to maximize profits from the state insurance system. This malpractice resulted in some babies contracting infections and, in several cases, led to their deaths.

The report disclosed that Dr. F.S., the alleged leader of the organization, and Dr. I.G. worked together to refer infants to hospitals that were ill-equipped to provide appropriate care. The goal was to extend the infants’ hospitalization period and inflate medical expenses, regardless of the babies’ actual condition.

The suspects claimed that the respiratory drug "Curosurf" was used for infant patients, but it was actually sold to third parties for profit.

The investigation also revealed that relatives of foreign infant patients were overcharged for medical services, with fees set above market rates through an intermediary system known as “brokerage.”

F.S. was reported to have maintained regular contact with health workers across various hospitals, offering them financial incentives in return for their participation in the scheme.

During one recorded conversation, F.S. instructed a nurse to leave a deceased infant’s body in the hospital until his return, concealing the actual time of death.

Additionally, nurses involved in the scandal lacked the necessary certification to provide care for premature babies.

The report highlighted that 90 percent of newborns were deprived of essential care and their right to life was violated.