Parliament launches inquiry into health care scandal

ANKARA

The Turkish parliament has formed a commission of inquiry to investigate a health care scandal involving the deaths of newborns that are linked to fraudulent admissions to intensive care units.

The case centers on a scheme that allegedly exploited the country’s social security system through fraudulent admissions of infants into intensive care units.

At least 12 newborn deaths have been attributed to infection-prone units at private health care institutions, with several surviving infants now suffering from long-term disabilities.

In a plenary session on Oct. 22, lawmakers unanimously adopted a joint proposal to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The inquiry follows a meeting convened by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which included Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu and several medical professionals.

The probe into the scheme began after a complaint was filed with the presidency's communication center CİMER on March 27, 2023. The "newborn gang" included doctors, nurses and health care workers.

In response, the Health Ministry has revoked the licenses of 10 private hospitals involved in the scandal, mostly located in Istanbul's Avcılar and Beylikdüzü districts. Patients from these facilities have been transferred to other health care providers.

On Oct. 20, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç confirmed the arrest of 22 suspects connected to the case.

Media reports said some others have expressed a willingness to cooperate with authorities under Türkiye's effective remorse law, which offers reduced sentences in exchange for confessions.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has filed a criminal complaint against former health ministers Mehmet Müezzinoğlu, Fahrettin Koca and Recep Akdağ, along with the incumbent Memişoğlu, who was the ministry's Istanbul head during the misconduct.

"If there is anyone who does not see that it is the health policies of this government that enable reckless people who try to make a profit by killing newborns, then nothing should surprise them," CHP leader Özgür Özel said during a parliamentary meeting on Oct. 22.