Minister Yerlikaya had said the 'Newborn gang' indictment was ready: Haskoloğlu revealed the indictment

While the actions of the gang that turned a blind eye to the deaths of babies for the sake of profit continue to be debated, the information that the indictment regarding the Newborn gang had been prepared was announced by Interior Minister Yerlikaya.

Shortly after this announcement, journalist İbrahim Haskoloğlu shared a post on his social media account stating, "I have obtained the full text of the indictment regarding the Newborn gang. I am sharing the important parts with you," and provided the following details:

INTRODUCTION

A.1) Start of the Investigation:

With the letter dated 05/05/2023 from the Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate sent to the Financial Crimes Investigation Branch, numbered ***:

"Former PKK convict and current IYI Party member, Reyap Hospital newborn intensive care doctor Fırat Sarı and İlker Gönen are defrauding the Social Security Institution (SSK)."

• Reyap Hospital,

• Beylikdüzü Medilife Hospital,

• Bağcılar Şafak Hospital,

• Doğa Hospital, 

• Medicine Bağcılar Hospital,

• Formerly Ethica Hospital,

• Duygu Hospital and many other hospitals,

By leasing their newborn intensive care units, they did not keep a doctor on duty at night, and due to inhumane and medically inappropriate conditions and many other reasons, many babies died in an inhumane manner. These individuals earned millions of TL for years by always showing patients who were at the 1st level of care as 3rd level in epicrises, by bribing the 112 command control center, and by purchasing babies, causing the deaths of hundreds of infants. These sold babies lost their lives under poor conditions in the intensive care units of Fırat Sarı and İlker Gönen. To stop the infant deaths, these blood-sucking traitors must be stopped. If the hospitals I mentioned are suddenly raided and inspected, you will understand exactly what I mean. These babies who died could have been your own babies; I have no doubt that my noble state will do what is necessary."

In the work carried out regarding the CİMER report in this form; Doctor Malik T. E., an official of the unit responsible for the inspection of private hospitals at the Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate, gave his statement on 22.05.2023 in the capacity of a person with knowledge at the Branch Directorate. In his statement, he said, 'I am an official in the unit responsible for the inspection of private hospitals at the Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate. During the hospital inspections we conducted in January 2023, I saw that the registers that should have been filled out in the newborn intensive care units of some private hospitals were not being filled out.'

Furthermore, we saw that the health status of the babies shown on paper did not match their actual health status; for example, a baby recorded as intubated was actually quite healthy and able to breathe. When we asked the hospital authorities about the situation, we received answers like 'they just recovered.' As far as I can remember, among these hospitals were the Private Santa Plus Hospital in Zeytinburnu and the Private Baypark Hospital in Bayrampaşa. There were also other hospitals in this situation. However, although I cannot remember their names right now, I can deliver their documents to you later. 

I previously served as the Chief Physician of the 112 Emergency Health Services. While working there, we heard rumors that 112 employees were consistently directing patients to the same hospitals in exchange for money. Based on the situations we observed in private hospitals and the rumors that reached us, we tightened inspections. During our inspections, we determined that the treatment files for babies in intensive care were not being filled out daily and that some treatment methods were inconsistent with the babies' conditions.

We can present some of our reports on this matter if requested. Furthermore, during our inspections, we heard that a doctor named Fırat Sarı, who worked at the Private Reyap Hospital, and İlker GÖNEN, a neonatologist said to be working at the Kanuni Training and Research Hospital, were visiting private hospital administrations together and saying, 'We can increase the revenue of your neonatal unit, and through this, you can collect high fees from the Social Security Institution (SGK).' We heard that they took over neonatal intensive care units and ensured they remained constantly full to collect fees from the SGK at the maximum rate.

We also learned that they placed a healthcare worker in the intensive care units of the private hospitals they had agreements with for liaison purposes, and that these individuals would call their contacts at 112 as beds became available to ensure new patients were brought to the intensive care unit, and in return, they made certain payments to these 112 employees under the name of monthly earnings.

In the process here, when babies are born, they require short-term or long-term intensive care. If the hospital where the baby is born does not have sufficient intensive care capacity, the doctor calls the 112 transfer unit to find a place in another hospital. They report the baby's condition and request that a suitable intensive care unit be found.

The 112 officer in the transfer unit checks their screens to see if there are empty beds in public hospitals; if not, they try to find an empty bed by calling private hospitals from the institution's official and recorded phone line. However, we learned through rumors that some 112 transfer unit employees were making these calls, which they were supposed to conduct through official channels, using their own private phones to direct patients to hospitals of their choosing for personal gain, and that they were trying to hide their misconduct, which led us to report them. 

We felt the need to report this situation to the police. I will send the reports we have prepared regarding the matter to your branch directorate later. What I know and have to say about the subject is limited to this,' they stated.

Regarding the matter, in the project-based investigation registered under the Büyükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office file number 2023/****, measures stipulated in Articles 135 and 140 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CMK) were applied against the suspects Dr. Fırat Sarı and Dr. İlker GÖNEN, who were alleged to have acted in concert with 112 Emergency Call Center employees to use private hospital neonatal intensive care units for financial gain rather than treatment. As a result of the work carried out, it was assessed through the project-based study that 41 suspects were involved in the crime based on 2,400 conversations deemed to contain criminal content, and inspections conducted by Provincial Health Directorate officials identified 197 criminal acts.

It was assessed that the inspections carried out by Provincial Health Directorate officials, bank account movements, HTS (Historical Traffic Search) records, and physical surveillance reports coincided with the conversations containing criminal content.

OPERATIONS REGARDING THE CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION

1.) METHOD OF COMMITTING THE CRIME

Owner of Medisense Health Services Company:

It is assessed that Dr. Fırat Sarı worked to increase hospital revenues by transferring infant patients from various private hospitals with which he had agreements in Istanbul, ensuring these facilities remained constantly full, and thereby securing high payments from the Social Security Institution (SGK), while receiving payments under the name of 'accruals' in return.

Looking at the algorithm for the coordination of emergency services in Istanbul hospitals and the execution of patient transfers as established by the Emergency Health Services Coordination Commission (ASKOM), when it is deemed appropriate to transfer a patient from the public or private hospital where they are currently located due to overcrowding or inadequate treatment conditions, the patient's physician fills out the EK-3 and EK-7 forms in the epicrisis report. The hospital notifies ASKOM personnel, and subsequently, after a request is created at the Public Hospitals Services Presidency (KHHB) 112 Coordination Center, a provision number is obtained. The transfer is then carried out to private hospitals that have been previously notified to the 112 Emergency Call Center and possess the equipment necessary to provide appropriate treatment.

This process is carried out according to a specific order and sequence to ensure that patients are transferred to every hospital at an equal rate, thereby attempting to prevent actions that would violate competitive conditions.

The operation within the organization acts in a way that bypasses this system, moving as follows to increase the revenue of the hospitals they have agreements with:

Organization manager and 112 ambulance driver G. M. ÖZDEMİR, organization member and Istanbul 112 emergency hospital transfer coordinator R. KILIÇ, organization member F. ALPEREN, and organization member Serdar YÜKSEL, who handles out-of-province hospital transfers, identify infant patients who need to be transferred from public or private hospitals. They inform organization leader Dr. Fırat Sarı or organization manager Dr. İlker GÖNEN and receive instructions on which contracted hospital the infant should be transferred to. After receiving these instructions, they act in violation of the ASKOM algorithm to carry out the transfer to that hospital. They first persuade the infant patient's family, then perform the 19 procedures known as 'treatment refusal' for the infant patient. Subsequently, organization manager and ambulance driver G. M. ÖZDEMİR obtains a provision number from the 112 Emergency Call Center, making it appear as if the patient had never gone to another hospital, and ensures the patient is admitted to one of the contracted hospitals through the EMERGENCY department, thereby obtaining financial gain.

HOW THE ORGANIZATION CONDUCTED HOSPITAL TRANSFER PROCEDURES:

• It is assessed that organization leader and ambulance driver M. ÖZDEMİR, before posing as a doctor named Ahmet on behalf of TRG Hospital to improperly obtain infant patients from the 112 Emergency Call Center—as seen in actions E-18 and E-19—first made joint decisions with other organization leaders. 

• It is assessed that organization leader and ambulance driver M. ÖZDEMİR, in a conversation with the 112 transfer unit during action E-42, again posed as a doctor named Ahmet, stating, "I have fifteen empty incubators" and "Yes, I can take 4 Syrians, I have space for Syrians," thereby using the public institution as a vehicle to improperly admit infant patients to hospitals belonging to the organization.

• Beyond these criminal acts, inspections by the Ministry of Health Inspectorate revealed that "Dr. İlker GÖNEN was contacted at various times by the 112 Emergency Call Center Transfer Unit between 2022 and 2023 for adult and newborn intensive care patient transfers as the responsible physician for Avrupa Şafak, Bağcılar Medilife, Avcılar Hospital, Beylikdüzü Medilife, A Hospital, Private Çamlık Hospital, Mediva Hospital, and Birinci Hospital. It was understood that during these calls, he sometimes introduced himself as Dr. Şeyhmus, Dr. Ümit, Dr. Şerif, or Dr. Recep to accept patient transfers. A review of Dr. İlker GÖNEN’s employment record and private hospital work history shows that he was not employed at any of the aforementioned private hospitals during those dates or prior." These findings were also noted.

Bank account records show that between 01.01.2023 and 31.08.2023, Dr. İlker GÖNEN worked as a patient consultant at Medisense Health Services Company, owned by organization leader Dr. Fırat Sarı, and operated the newborn intensive care units of 11 contracted private hospitals in his capacity as an organization leader. During the period in question, he received financial benefits while working as a "patient consultant" at Medisense Health Services Company, and his wife, Dr. Anıl ÇAKIR GÖNEN, worked there as a psychologist. The police report includes a table of bank account transactions showing regular monthly payments made to the accounts of organization leader Fırat Sarı and his company, Medisense Health Services, from 8 of the 11 hospitals they are assessed to have operated, with descriptions such as "accrual payment" or "salary payment."

The hospitals involved have different trade registry names compared to their signage names; the hospitals in question are as follows:

• Bağcılar Medilife Hospital Nurse: Ç. D.

• Beylikdüzü Medilife Hospital Nurse: C. H. K.

• TRG Hospitalist Hospital Nurse: C. A.

• Reyap Hospital Nurse: M.S.

• Reyap Hospital Nurse: S. N. A.

• Esenler Güney Hospital Nurse: H. G.

• Bağcılar Şafak Hospital Nurse: M. H. B.

• Birinci Hospital Nurse: E. K. B.

• Duygu Hospital Nurse: D. K.

• Nurse monitoring patients at 11 hospitals: H.D.T.

• Nurse monitoring patients at 11 hospitals: H. B. G.

It is assessed that the healthcare workers mentioned above knowingly and willingly assisted the organization, profiting financially and thereby enabling the commission of the crime. These organization-member healthcare workers were involved in numerous actions related to the criminal activities. In criminal communication record E-72, H.B.G., who is mentioned by name, calls organization leader Fırat Sarı and says:

“Doctor, uh, there is a baby at Beylikdüzü Medilife, the family lives in Silivri, I am transferring them to Silivri Kolon, doctor.” After receiving approval, she calls organization manager G. M. ÖZDEMİR and says:

 “Brother, there is no neonatologist there, that’s why.” “Yes, yes, give a medical refusal, take them with a medical refusal, that is, even if you don’t give a medical refusal, it might be okay if you don’t get a normal signature, but let them get a medical refusal.”

It is assessed that in this conversation, she received instructions on how to transfer the baby patient to the neonatal intensive care unit despite there being no neonatologist at the hospital to which she was transferring the patient, and subsequently facilitated the transfer.

Similarly, in criminal communication records E-88, it is assessed that organization manager G. M. ÖZDEMİR engaged in criminal discussions with organization members Nurse H.S.G. and H. D. T. regarding the writing of epicrisis reports for baby patients. Although he is an ambulance driver and the people he spoke with are nurses, and they have no authority to write epicrisis reports, these actions were evaluated as criminal communications conducted for the purpose of billing the Social Security Institution (SGK).

In action E-81, organization leader Fırat Sarı gave instructions to organization member Nurse H. B. G. to collect illicitly prescribed Curosurf medications from the hospitals where he had business partnerships in order to sell them:

 “Now, exactly, you started dropping the Curosurfs today, check them all, look Hasan, this is your function, you are going to all the places, including Bağcılar, look, I talked to Serenay in Avcılar today, İlker took the Curosurfs there.” “She said they are dropping and I am dropping them all, and I said Serenay and İlker are coming to take them, Hasan will take them all from now on, don’t give them to İlker or anyone else.” It is assessed that there were many such conversations, and physical surveillance in the days following these conversations indicated that the medications were removed from the hospitals and sold to third parties through illicit methods.

It is assessed that Hakan Doğukan TAŞÇI also monitored the issue of the illicit removal of Curosurf medications. It is further assessed that organization member D.K. hid Curosurf medications upon the instructions of Dr. Fırat Sarı during the same incident and monitored the organization's illicit drug sales operations.

As for organization member Ç. DURMUŞ at Bağcılar Medilife Hospital, in the incident resulting in the death of the baby patient with the surname Karakoç, numbered E-86, she followed the instructions given by organization leader Dr. İlker GÖNEN, concealing the true cause of death of the baby who had aspirated, by saying:

 "Either it might not be death, it might not be sepsis, it might not accept the 66 days, okay, to the last one, alright?"

It was assessed that she attempted to carry out the instruction she received in the form of "Let those treatments appear as IV, huh," and that she received instructions regarding both the cause of the baby patient's death and the high-amount report to be billed to the Social Security Institution (SGK). 

Following the baby's death, because the family filed a complaint at the police station, it was assessed that Dr. İlker GÖNEN informed the organization leader Dr. Fırat Sarı about the matter and received the necessary instructions, and subsequently called organization member Dr. Dursun ERYILMAZ, the baby patient's doctor, to give the necessary instructions, saying, "The event is like that, around noon

it worsened, we intubated it," and that conversations were held with Çağla to "keep your stories consistent," and that they attempted to conceal the true cause of the baby's death.

It is assessed that Nurse C. AKYILDIRIM monitored the baby patient leg of TRG Hospitalist Hospital, while Nurse Mehtap SAYAR monitored the baby patients at Reyap Hospital, and that in the incident numbered E-91, based on their conversation with organization member H.B. GÖK, they treated the baby patient under inappropriate conditions, with the conversation content including:

"Mehtap, kill the child, is there such a thing as a child with fifty saturation?"

It is assessed that there were conversations such as, 'Damn it, I'm going to kill them, but you know it's a problem if I kill them,' and that treatment methods were not performed in accordance with procedures, but rather in a way that served the organization's activities.

S. N. ARSLAN: During the time she worked as a nurse at Reyap Hospital, she also handled the accounting work for the Medisense Company, E-99:

'...now professor, I am making the payments, I will tell you now, look, I sent Dursun professor's today, 14 thousand, okay?'

It is assessed that there were conversations such as, 'I also paid Arzu sister for what Hüseyin sent, and for Ayşe Nur sent by Hüseyin, and Paço Leyna, pay 3 thousand to Ayşenur, it was already written as 3 thousand in your notes.'

Furthermore, it is assessed that she was in contact with many nurses at other hospitals and was tasked with having epicrisis reports written and following up on them:

 'I said, have the files taken from the archive, I don't know if they had them taken yesterday, I will check when I go, if they had them taken, I will check, is there anything else you want me to say or do there?'

It is assessed through conversations such as, 'What about the files and the Curosurfs? Were they open or not? You will check those, there are a lot of photos they sent there.'

In action number E-192, regarding the issue where it is assessed that the baby patient named Michelle Nwando OPARA, who was understood to have transferred from Beylikdüzü Medilife Hospital to Birinci Hospital on 17.01.2024, passed away as a result of inappropriate and negligent treatment at the hospital she was referred to on 18.01.2024, according to the audit report dated 26.01.2024 prepared by the Provincial Health Directorate, organization member and Birinci Hospital Nurse H. D. TAŞÇI informed the organization leader Dr. Fırat Sarı about the matter, and Fırat Sarı, in his conversation with another organization member, Nurse H. B. GÖK,

As can be understood from the conversation content, such as 'Turn, turn, he's in shock, he doesn't know what to do, he's flustered, do resuscitation too... I said do resuscitation, calm down, that child is six kilos, we took him there yesterday because we couldn't find an adult intensive care unit, I wish he had stayed in Beylikdüzü, I thought they would stabilize him, you know, go take a look, analyze the situation, support Doğukan immediately,' it is assessed that he was involved in the transfer process of the infant patient.

I have obtained the full text of the indictment regarding the Newborn gang. I am sharing the important parts with you.

INTRODUCTION
A.1) Start of the Investigation:

Sent to the Financial Crimes Investigation Bureau with the letter dated 05/05/2023 from the Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate, numbered ***:

"Former PKK convict..." pic.twitter.com/iIwTJyxgGj

— ibrahim Haskoloğlu (@haskologlu) October 18, 2024

EXAMPLES OF (SOME) IDENTIFIED CRIMINAL ACTS:

H. D. T.: Hello

F. S.: Doğukan, what are you doing, dear, good morning

H. D. T.: Good morning, teacher

F. S.: What's up, what's new

H. D. T.: ... Teacher, are you still angry with me?

F. S.: Huh

H. D. T.: Are you still angry?

F. S.: No, why would I be angry?

H. D. T.: Honestly, doctor, look, we had never had this conversation 

before, but I apologize, look, never before... 

such a...

F. S.: No, no, I don't dwell on such things

H. D. T.: We hadn't lied, but it caught me off guard

F. S.: Hmm, it's alright, it's alright...

H. D. T.: But that Mert also... I mean, doctor.

F. S.: No, no, there is no need, he didn't say anything, there is no need for that.

H. D. T.: Look, doctor, no, I already... my head and my tongue...

F. S.: Hmm.

H. D. T.: I let it slip while I was talking to him, the only thing I said was this: I said, look buddy, I don't have many patients, I'm really squeezed here, I said, like, a pregnant patient is coming out of there. Fehmi already knew, doctor, he had said it while talking to Fehmi, maybe he said he would take her if there was a pregnant patient when we talked last year.

F. S.: No problem, nothing will happen.

H. D. T.: He already knew, Fehmi told him, he is coming and explaining it to you.

F. S.: Hmm.

H. D. T.: There is so much gossip, so much stuff. I said to him, did you... the drop? He laughed, had fun, and so on. I asked, who said it? I said everyone is saying it, Hüseyin said it, the teacher said it, Hasan said it, everyone knows, I said. He just laughed, made a joke out of it, and comes to tell you this in a different way.

F. S.: No, nothing will happen.

H. D. T.: This characterless.

F. S.: Nothing will happen, these are unimportant things, not very important.

H. D. T.: I swear, if you were embarrassed because of me, I apologize, teacher.

F. S.: No, nothing will happen. Why would I be embarrassed by Mert?

H. D. T.: I don't know, teacher.

F. S.: It's enough that he does his job, that dog. There are no patients, I said everywhere, I called, I scolded them.

H. D. T.: Yeah, that's already...

F. S.: I said it shows a number, I told you don't explain numbers or whatever to me, you don't have a patient.

H. D. T.: Two or three patients came, I said I told them all that Fehmi sent them. I said, 'Doctor, he is asking me how many patients came and who sent them, just so you know.'

F. S.: ...

H. D. T.: I said, from now on, when you take a patient, you will call Dr. Fırat and let him know. I said you will not call Dr. İlker. I said, 'Every time I call, I inform the doctor that a patient is coming and that Fehmi sent them, just so you know.' I also said, 'Buddy, let me show you one by one the patients I admitted for you, how many days I kept them,' and I sat him down at the computer and showed him. I said, 'Don't ever talk to me again about who is being discharged today or tomorrow, brother, just so you know,' that's all.

F. S.: Well, nobody is doing anything with us regarding the patient anyway, now that is the other side's, now on this side I, I explained it to him too, look, I am a doctor, the family is problematic, you have to send them. Or the patient is fine, your conscience doesn't allow it, you have to send them. Why would you hold the patient by force?

H. D. T.: Come on doctor, twenty-five days, thirty days.

F. S.: Huh, why would you hold them, I, I that much.

H. D. T.: Look, I'm looking at it again, I'm heartless, I'm heartless, I'm being heartless, I'm keeping them hospitalized.

F. S.: Yeah, uh-huh, I mean you're going to send them, there's no such thing. Be a man, you need to find patients, my son.

H. D. T.: You know, I have a jaundice case I've kept hospitalized for forty-five days, these are, look...

F. S.: Well, he's talking to İlker, and then he's trying to tell me that it's not that our patient count is low, but that we've started sending them to Medicana, Duygu, and Güney, that's what he's trying to say. I said, look, this is your duty, it should be three times this, it should be elsewhere, you need to find patients for me.

H. D. T.: No, then I said, look, again, I said I already know, Fehmi said so and so. I said good, don't say you heard it from me, I said. I told the professor, don't talk nonsense about the pregnancy thing, how could such a thing be, he came directly, you called me, I said, how much did you...

F. S.: Damn, I called because I was tipsy, otherwise I wouldn't have called, it's nothing. While at Doğukan's, these are not important things.

H. D. T.: I said, why did you... I said, then you said it like that, I didn't hear it, I said, cut that out. Then I said, I understood what should and shouldn't be talked about in your presence, I said, hang up the phone.

F. S.: Dog, huh.

H. D. T.: He's a swindler.

F. S.: He's a swindler, a sharp operator, a sly fox.

H. D. T.: No, I noticed it, I noticed it one hundred percent.

F. S.: Look, I'm telling you something, I, I...

H. D. T.: He's a total sneak, a total troublemaker.

F. S.: Of course, for example, I get angry, I say something against İlker, I do something, and I see that İlker calls me two minutes later.

H. D. T.: That's how it is, that's how it is, professor.

F. S.: He doesn't say, no, no, I'm being open with you, I'm saying it so İlker hears it. No, he also, I mean, I say, look, he's going to go there, he's going to do this, he's not working enough, this and that. I mean, let him say it, so İlker knows himself, so he can check himself.

H. D. T.: Uh-huh.

F. S.: He delivers immediately. I told him yesterday, look, I said, son, look, stop playing both sides, okay? Fine, keep in touch with İlker, don't cut that off, that's separate. But like this, you know, double-dealing, if you look at what you hear from me and take it there, you're working with me, right? Teacher, well I... I swore, I'm with you, this and that... it's there, but let's see.

H. D. T.: No, teacher, he's the biggest swindler, a sneaky dog. I'm going to tell you something, teacher.

F. S.: Yes.

H. D. T.: Now, about this private patient...

F. S.: Uh-huh, uh-huh.

H. D. T.: Last night, I spoke with 112 quite a bit.

F. S.: Uh-huh.

H. D. T.: They found three or four hospitals, Mehmet Akif, Çam Sakura, Kanuni.

F. S.: Uh-huh.

H. D. T.: All three of them, doctor, are demanding a large amount of payment.

F. S.: Uh-huh.

H. D. T.: They say they will not perform the surgery unless the family makes the payment.

F. S.: Uh-huh.

H. D. T.: Now what should I do, should I get something from the family stating that they do not want the surgery?

F. S.: Of course, get informed consent.

H. D. T.: From the family.

F. S.: From the family. I mean, there was a conversation with 112, and from the family, well, whatever places 112 specified, since three hospitals requested payment and the family did not accept this payment, the baby's blood pressure could not be stabilized, so make a note of that in the epicrisis.

H. D. T.: Well, how should we handle the payment here? Only five days of payment have been made here.

F. S.: In the epicrisis, you, from the first day, uh, ask the family for the payment, let's see, won't they pay?

H. D. T.: Only twelve and a half has been paid, doctor, for five days.

News Source: 12punto

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