Forty-seven medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and ambulance drivers, are currently on trial in Turkey amid serious allegations of a scheme involving the improper transfer of newborns between hospitals for financial gain. Prosecutors claim that this misconduct has led to the deaths of at least ten infants.
The defendants face accusations of fabricating medical diagnoses to facilitate the unnecessary transfer of babies to a total of 19 private hospitals, where these infants were reportedly subjected to extended stays in neonatal intensive care units. According to an extensive 1,400-page indictment, the individuals involved are believed to have profit-shared from social security payments accrued for each day a baby remained hospitalized.
All accused maintain their innocence, stating that their intentions were rooted in providing the best care possible to the infants. Dr. Firat Sari, one of the accused, claimed that every action taken was in line with established medical procedures. As the trial commenced, protests erupted outside the courthouse in Istanbul, with demonstrators vocally demanding accountability, chanting slogans such as "baby killers will be held accountable" and calling for a shutdown of private hospitals implicated in the scandal.
The investigation was initiated following an anonymous tip-off in March 2023, which catalyzed police inquiries that ultimately led to the revocation of licenses for ten hospitals under scrutiny. Should the accused be convicted, they face severe penalties, including lengthy prison sentences for charges such as "homicide through negligence," fraud, and forgery.
