Scandalous allegation regarding Özel Avrupa Şafak Hospital, which had an agreement with the 'Newborn Gang': 'They smuggled babies through a secret passage'

NAGİHAN YILKIN /12punto.com.tr/ EXCLUSIVE

Turkey is talking about the 'Newborn Gang', the health scandal of the century. We had previously revealed that Seçim Öztürk, the owner of the Şafak Hospitals—one of the hospitals that had an agreement with the gang and whose branch in Bağcılar had its sign removed—is the son-in-law of Celal Adan.

Before the trial of 47 defendants, which will be heard on Monday, another scandalous allegation has emerged regarding the Özel Avrupa Şafak Hospital located in Gaziosmanpaşa, which belongs to the Şafak Hospitals group.

According to the tip-off received following our report, some of the babies in the neonatal unit at Şafak Hospital were smuggled into the adjacent building through a secret passage in order to pass inspections.

'THEY SHOULD LOOK AT YEARS AGO AS WELL'

Explaining that the past should also be examined, the employee said, "These things being told are not just a matter of a few years as is being said. It goes back years. I don't want to give exact dates because I'm afraid, but it's not so long ago that it would be statute-barred. I can say between 6 and 9 years. If they really want to investigate, they will find all kinds of irregularities and how they defrauded the Social Security Institution (SGK). But it seems that they are not currently investigating the hospital owners."

'THEY SAID WE ARE GOING TO SMUGGLE BABIES'

Describing the incident they witnessed, the former hospital employee said, "They have their people in the Ministry. Usually, news comes one day or one hour before they come for an inspection. They learned that they were coming for an inspection again that day, and the management was up in arms. If I remember correctly, there were more than 50 babies in the neonatal unit, which had a capacity of 32-34. They were trying to hide them because it was over capacity. They suddenly came and said, 'We are going to smuggle babies out of the intensive care unit,' and they did this within 5 minutes."

'THEY SMUGGLED THEM THROUGH A SECRET PASSAGE'

Stating that there was a secret passage to the adjacent building next to the hospital, the employee said, "They also bought the building next to the hospital. They made a secret passage through the wall connecting it to the hospital. They made it so professionally that it looks like a flat wall. When you lift the panel, the doors open. They unplugged 16-17 babies. There was even a 5-day-old baby among them, I never forget... Including the head nurse, they carried the babies in their arms and took them through that door. They put them in a freezing cold place. This happened several times. When the inspectors left, the incubators would come and be placed back in their original spots, and then they would bring the babies back. I am sure that babies died in the meantime. In that situation, a baby can catch an infection. Sometimes they had to wait there for an hour or an hour and a half. Later, they included that adjacent building into the hospital as well."

'THEY ARE DEFRAUDING THE SGK'

Stating that they are close to politicians, the employee said, "I think they get their power from being close to politicians. I don't think anything will happen to them. They only closed one of their hospitals, but I think it is just for show for the public. Their other branches also need to be investigated. Again, at the Aile Hospital, which is affiliated with the Şafak Hospitals, they transport people to the hospitals, perform unnecessary tests, and defraud the SGK. They try to use both patients and hospital staff for their own benefit," they said.

'THEY WORK WITH THE MAFIA'

Claiming that they have an agreement with the mafia, the employee said, "They are constantly working with the mafia. These people are always in this hospital. They have silenced many people using this method; they have ruined their lives and their families."

'EMPLOYEES ARE SILENT BECAUSE THEY ARE THREATENED'

Expressing that they are reliving the same things years later after seeing these reports, the employee said, "People are afraid due to threats and mafia pressure; no one has been able to speak for years. Because they have connections everywhere, and everyone who is a witness thinks that nothing will happen to them and that they will somehow clear themselves," they stated.