Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu greets commission with a smile during Newborn Gang trial

Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu, who came to the TBMM for the Ministry of Health's 2025 budget negotiations, was met with protests. While the CHP, DEM Party, and IYI Party called on Minister Memişoğlu to resign due to the Newborn Gang scandal that caused public outrage, using the words, "There is neither shame nor resignation," AKP members accused the opposition of "putting on a show."

The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Planning and Budget Commission met for the Ministry of Health's 2025 budget negotiations.

Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu, who arrived at the meeting hall for the negotiations held while the trial process regarding the baby-killing Newborn Gang scandal that shook Turkey continues, was invited to resign by the opposition.

MEMİŞOĞLU GREETS COMMISSION 'WITH A SMILE'

According to Birgün, the commission's CHP, DEM Party, and IYI Party deputies criticized Memişoğlu for greeting the commission members with a smile.

Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu, who remained a spectator to the child deaths carried out by the Newborn Gang, was protested at the TBMM Planning and Budget Commission and called to resign. pic.twitter.com/wJRgDExaiz

— Spot Haber (@spothaberr) November 19, 2024

At the opening of the commission meeting, CHP deputies chanted "Resignation." CHP Deputy Rahmi Aşkın Türeli said, "If the Minister will not take responsibility for the children who died, he should resign." It was observed that AKP deputies accused the opposition of "putting on a show."

The opposition reacted to Minister Memişoğlu, who followed the discussions from the place reserved for him in the commission hall, by saying, "There is neither shame nor resignation."

It was also noted that the AKP members of the TBMM Planning and Budget Commission evaluated the opposition's criticisms regarding the baby deaths for which the Newborn Gang is responsible as a "demonstration."

The DEM Party members of the commission called out, "Let us all invite the Minister to resign together." After the arguments escalated, the Commission Chair adjourned the meeting.

Later, the CHP members of the commission left the hall during Minister Memişoğlu's presentation. It was stated that the CHP members would return to the hall after the presentation was completed.

MEMİŞOĞLU'S STATEMENT ON THE NEWBORN GANG

Minister Memişoğlu, who gave a presentation at the commission, said regarding the baby-killing Newborn Gang, "For us, the name of this operation is 'Operation Rotten Apple,' and the name of the gang is the 'Gang That Has Not Received Its Share of Humanity.'"

Memişoğlu stated that they have implemented the system started with the Newborn Intensive Care Audit and Evaluation Scientific Commission in all branches, adding, "In 2024 alone, we carried out 46,160 routine and 7,318 extraordinary audits."

Claiming that Turkey is among the countries with the easiest access to health services, Memişoğlu noted that as a ministry, they offer the most inclusive and comprehensive health services in the health sector.

Stating that they want the first door citizens reach for health services to be their family physician, Memişoğlu reported that they have strengthened family medicine and will continue to do so. Minister Memişoğlu, who said that they attach importance to citizens reaching correct and effective treatment by increasing integration with the second and third levels, drew attention to the fact that they attach importance to trust in the physician-patient relationship.

Expressing that the number of health workers is approaching one and a half million, Memişoğlu said, "We are currently providing health services to our citizens with 109,256 specialist physicians, 53,747 assistant physicians, 58,646 general practitioners, 48,836 dentists, 326,486 nurses and midwives, and 851,174 other health workers."

Memişoğlu emphasized that since 2002, the total population has increased by approximately 25 percent, the number of personnel providing health services by 283 percent, the number of physicians by approximately 141 percent, and the number of nurses and midwives by 187 percent.

"OUR NEED FOR PERSONNEL STILL CONTINUES IN THE FACE OF INCREASING DEMANDS"

Mentioning that they have recruited more than 74,000 personnel to the public sector in 2024 alone, 10,000 of whom are specialist physicians, Memişoğlu said, "We are distributing this human resource in a fair and balanced way. While there was a 7-fold difference between the highest and lowest regions in terms of population per specialist physician in 2002, this difference has decreased to 2.5 times today. I would like to state one point in particular: Although we have experienced a rapid increase in the number of our health workers compared to OECD countries, our need for personnel still continues in the face of increasing demands."

"HEALTH SERVICES CONTINUE WITH RENEWED AND NEWLY OPERATIONAL FACILITIES"

Stating that health services for citizens continue with facilities that have been renewed and have newly started operations as the Ministry of Health, Memişoğlu said, "While universities and the private sector play an important role in the provision of health services in our country, the majority of the service is carried out by public hospitals. We have 984 hospitals, 8,198 Family Health Centers, 1,237 laboratories, 973 Community Health Centers, 138 Oral and Dental Health Centers, 269 Healthy Life Centers, 585 dialysis centers, 3,494 emergency aid stations, and 188 mental health centers."

"79 PERCENT OF EXISTING HOSPITALS HAVE EITHER BEEN RENEWED OR REBUILT IN THE LAST 22 YEARS"

Stating that 79 percent of existing hospitals have either been renewed or rebuilt in the last 22 years, Memişoğlu said, "In total, we have produced a bed capacity of approximately 144,000 with 779 hospitals and increased our public hospital bed count to 172,450. As of the point reached, we have reduced the average age of our hospitals, which was 49 years in 2002, to 13 years. We have abandoned the ward system and created a single or double-room system in our new hospitals. We have increased our qualified bed ratio, which was 6 percent in 2002, to 82 percent."

Noting that there are 1,228 facilities in the 1st Level investment program consisting of Family Health Centers, Healthy Life Centers, and Community Health Centers, Memişoğlu said, "Construction of 261 of these is ongoing; 776 are in the project and land stage, and 191 are in the tender stage. At the 2nd and 3rd levels, we plan to put into service a total of 61,168 new beds and 2,574 new dental units in 437 facilities. Construction work on 178 of these is ongoing. While 223 are in the project and land stage, 36 have reached the tender stage. We are also modernizing and strengthening our Oral and Dental Health services. We serve with 138 Oral and Dental Health Centers and 41 Oral and Dental Health Hospitals. While the number of dentists per 100,000 people was 25 in 2002, this number rose to 57 in 2024."

Minister Memişoğlu stated that they aim to provide services with 6 Emergency Hospitals with a total bed capacity of 824, including Altınözü, Erzin, Türkoğlu, Nurhak, Çelikhan State Hospitals, and Kahramanmaraş Training and Research Hospital by the end of the year, and continued his words as follows:

"Again, in the earthquake zone, we have completed the construction work of the 1,875-bed Gaziantep City Hospital, 350-bed Adıyaman Maternity and Children's Hospital, 100-bed Adana Karşıyaka State Hospital, and 50-bed Diyarbakır Çermik and Osmaniye Bahçe State Hospitals each. We will continue to strengthen our health infrastructure in the provinces affected by the earthquake by opening 5 more of our hospitals with a total bed capacity of 1,750, including Kahramanmaraş State Hospital, Gaziantep 25 Aralık State Hospital Annex Building, Gaziantep Cengiz Gökçek Maternity and Children's Hospital, Nizip and Düziçi State Hospitals, in 2025. In addition to our major projects such as the 1,700-bed Şanlıurfa City Hospital, 1,000-bed Diyarbakır Kayapınar City Hospital, and 600-bed İskenderun State Hospitals, whose construction is rapidly continuing in the regions affected by the disaster of the century, we will also include the 1,000-bed Kahramanmaraş and Hatay City Hospitals, which have now reached the tender stage, in this scope in 2025."

Stating that they have put 34 hospitals with a total bed capacity of 3,986 into service across Turkey this year, Memişoğlu reported that hospitals with a total of 1,600 beds, including Bağcılar Training and Research Maternity and Children's Hospital, Niğde, Bartın, and Erzincan State Hospitals, whose construction work is largely completed, will also be opened soon.

"THERE WERE 796 MILLION APPLICATIONS IN THE FIRST 9 MONTHS OF 2024"

Mentioning that there were 973 million applications for health services in 2023, Minister Memişoğlu said, "88 percent of these were made to institutions affiliated with our ministry. In 2024, there were 796 million applications in the first 9 months; 10 million 655 thousand of our patients received inpatient treatment. Again, in the first 9 months of 2024, 4.6 million surgeries were performed in groups A, B, and C. We serve in emergency health services with 5,668 ambulances and 3,494 emergency aid stations. In 2024, we transported nearly 6 million of our citizens to our health facilities with our ambulances. We have a total burn bed capacity of 711 with 25 Burn Centers and 36 Burn Units in 42 of our provinces."

"4,548 ORGAN TRANSPLANT SURGERIES WERE PERFORMED IN THE FIRST 10 MONTHS OF 2024"

Stating that 4,548 organ transplants were performed in the first 10 months of 2024 with 75 kidney, 52 liver, 15 heart, 9 pancreas, and 2 lung transplant centers, Memişoğlu said, "We are carrying out national and regional projects to increase social awareness regarding organ and tissue donation. Our number of voluntary donors has exceeded 1 million 632 thousand. We provide 90 percent of non-relative stem cell transplants in the country through TÜRKÖK."

"IN 2024 ALONE, WE CARRIED OUT 46,160 ROUTINE AND 7,318 EXTRAORDINARY AUDITS"

Stating that he will not go into details because the incident regarding the Newborn Gang has been referred to the judiciary, Memişoğlu said, "For us, the name of this operation is 'Operation Rotten Apple,' and the name of the gang is the 'Gang That Has Not Received Its Share of Humanity.' Our concern for the health and safety of our children is beyond everything. The professional oath of us physicians is to protect life and keep human health above everything. We have not allowed, and will not allow, anything that would contradict this oath. In addition to administrative audits, we have implemented a new audit model that includes evidence-based medical practices and risk management with scientists. We are implementing this system, which we started with the Newborn Intensive Care Audit and Evaluation Scientific Commission, in all branches. In 2024 alone, we carried out 46,160 routine and 7,318 extraordinary audits. As a result of these audits, we issued numerous activity suspensions and administrative fines; we also filed criminal complaints."

In addition to the ministry's budget, the budget, final accounts, and Court of Accounts reports of the General Directorate of Border and Coastal Health of Turkey, the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency, and the Presidency of Turkey Health Institutes will also be discussed at the commission.