Statement from the Ministry of Health Regarding the "Newborn Gang"
The Ministry of Health has issued a statement regarding the "Newborn Gang" scandal that has caused public outrage. The Ministry announced that legal enforcement processes have been initiated following an investigation into the activities of the hospitals involved.
In its statement, the Ministry detailed that individuals known as the "Newborn Gang" were found to be directing emergency newborn patients to private hospitals they had pre-arranged with, causing deaths and unjustly profiting from the situation. The incident was uncovered in May 2023 through an operation conducted by the Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate and the Istanbul Police Department. Legal actions have been taken, and the matter has been referred to judicial authorities. Following the investigation initiated by the Ministry into the hospitals involved, legal sanctions have been activated.
The Ministry's statement included the following remarks:
"We Will Not Tolerate Illegality and Malpractice in Healthcare"
The incident involving individuals, known in the public as the 'Newborn Gang,' who directed newborn emergency patients to pre-arranged private hospitals, causing their deaths and earning illegal profits, was identified in May 2023 through an operation carried out by the Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate and Police Department. Legal actions have been initiated, and the matter was referred to the judicial authorities. Legal enforcement measures have now been implemented following the investigation into the hospitals in question by the Ministry of Health.
As the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey, we will not allow the reputation of our healthcare workers, who tirelessly save lives, to be tarnished by individuals engaging in inhumane behavior. We will follow this case until the end, which is now in the hands of the judiciary."
What Happened
The investigation into the newborn gang in Istanbul began after it was revealed that employees of the 112 Emergency Call Center and health personnel had established an organized crime network, transferring babies to private hospitals for profit, causing their deaths in the process. The indictment reveals that the gang members kept baby patients in hospitals for extended periods to demand higher fees from the Social Security Institution (SGK), defrauding the state, and resulting in the deaths of many newborns who were unable to receive appropriate healthcare. It was also noted that the gang leader and members carried out medical interventions contrary to standard procedures to gain financial profit at the expense of babies' lives.
As the court continues to review the indictment, the testimony of gang leader Fırat Sarı has come to light. Sarı admitted, "While studying at the Faculty of Medicine, I was convicted of membership in the PKK and served around five years in prison. After prison, I returned to complete my studies and graduated".
Sarı, who is both an employee of Reyap Hospital and the owner of Medisense, a medical company, stated that he does not want to benefit from "active repentance" and shared, "I graduated from the Trakya University Faculty of Medicine. While studying at the Faculty of Medicine, I was convicted of PKK membership and served around five years in prison. After my release, I returned to school, completed my studies, and graduated. After serving three years of mandatory service in Bingöl’s Kığı district, I worked in various hospitals in Istanbul. I founded Medisense Healthcare Services about 7-8 years ago and own 100% of the shares. I make my living as a doctor".
"Everything is in Accordance with the Procedure"
Regarding the accusations against him, Fırat Sarı stated: "Claims such as employing an insufficient number of nurses in the newborn intensive care unit, babies dying due to neglect, assigning external on-call nurses, and creating lists as if they were working in the intensive care unit while they were employed in another department of the hospital are all false. There were no babies who died due to neglect, as claimed. Normally, there should be one nurse for every four babies in intensive care, and a full-time doctor should be present. I am that full-time doctor. Everything is in accordance with the procedure".
"There Was No Order Given to Any Doctor, Nurse, or Other Healthcare Worker"
Regarding the financial transactions in his accounts, Sarı explained: "The funds sent by my company or myself were motivational bonuses given to employees at the hospitals where I provided consultancy, as I have previously explained".
In his testimony, Sarı further stated: "I have never given orders to any doctor, nurse, or healthcare worker at hospitals. I never instructed anyone to report a non-intubated baby as intubated, to misrepresent the condition of a baby as more severe, or to claim that treatments were administered when they weren’t. I never told anyone in hospital accounting to falsify records. Similarly, I never ordered the concealment or external sale of medications such as curosoft or other drugs, nor did I instruct anyone to pretend treatments were administered when they were not".
