Horrifying detail in the newborn gang scandal! Is a doctor with a suspended license also involved?

In the indictment prepared against 47 suspects, 22 of whom are under arrest, for allegedly acting in concert with individuals working at the 112 Emergency Call Center to refer newborn patients to pre-arranged private hospitals, causing their deaths and obtaining illicit gains, wiretap records revealed that a patient lost their life after undergoing obesity surgery performed by a doctor whose medical license is suspended.

The 1,399-page indictment prepared by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office lists 197 criminal acts and includes telephone conversations between the suspects regarding these actions.

According to the wiretap records, in addition to conversations regarding the deaths of infants, it was understood that S.A., whom Dr. E.V. operated on December 18, 2023, at the Bağcılar Private Şafak Hospital—which is mentioned in the investigation and has had its license revoked—lost their life.

The following conversations regarding the incident were included in the records of suspect Murat Mantuş:

"E.O: Brother, someone died yesterday afternoon during a stomach surgery. They had the surgery two days ago. Dr. E.V. performed it.

Suspect Murat Mantuş: Uh, so?

E.O: Brother, he performed the surgery two days ago and they discharged the patient from the hospital in the morning. After the patient went home, they called Dr. E.V. saying they had nausea, vomiting, etc. E.V. didn't make much of it on the phone, saying these are normal things that can happen, etc. Then they called again and said this is very bad, we are bringing them to the hospital, come to the hospital, etc. When they brought them in, they weren't fully conscious. They started the intervention, he informed us that they were intervening, and an hour later they informed us to accept our condolences."

Suspect Murat Mantuş: E.V. is performing them under someone else's name, and the hospital is allowing this.

E.O: That's the big problem there. I think Dr. E.V.'s license is suspended, brother.

Suspect Murat Mantuş: Yes, it's suspended, it's forbidden for him to perform them.

E.O: That's why it looks like a big problem is going to arise."

MONEY OFFERED TO ANOTHER DOCTOR

The indictment states that in conversations between the suspects, M.K., who worked as the assistant operations manager at Bağcılar Private Şafak Hospital, told A.F.Y., a general surgery specialist at the same hospital, that a doctor named E.V. would bring a patient to the hospital, and that E.V. would pay A.F.Y. one thousand lira per case if he participated in the surgery, but A.F.Y. refused to enter the surgery.

The indictment notes that M.K. said, "Okay, we'll do the case, that's not a problem, but will you join? He is already using your stamp anyway," indicating that E.V. was irregularly using a different doctor's stamp for the surgeries he performed at the hospital. It was recorded that E.V.'s goal was to evade responsibility by claiming that he never participated in the surgeries and that the procedures were performed by expert general surgeons in case any problems arose with the patients in the future.

While the conversations stated that E.V., whose license is suspended, performed obesity surgeries using another doctor's credentials, it was noted that in discussions between the hospital's assistant operations manager M.K., the responsible manager S.Y., and O.G., they planned to make it appear as if the doctor they referred to as "Dr. R." had performed S.A.'s surgery himself, and to claim that E.V. was merely an observer.

The indictment states that the suspicious death report prepared regarding the loss of patient S.A. after the surgery was forwarded to the Yüzyıl Police Station, and that camera footage from the day of the death was requested from the hospital, but M.K. replied, "there is no camera footage."

TURNED A BLIND EYE BECAUSE HE PAID THE HOSPITAL

The indictment, which assesses that attempts were made to hide the hospital's camera footage from the investigation, emphasized that E.V., who did not even have the authority to use surgical scissors, was knowingly and willingly tolerated because he paid the hospital for the surgeries, and that the lives of patients coming for obesity surgery were put at risk without any concern.

The indictment states that in the records regarding the obesity surgeries performed by Dr. E.V. at the hospital, the signature of a doctor named "Şaban" was found as the responsible physician, and that E.V. was shown as if he had not participated in the surgeries. It was noted, "As a result of HTS examinations of the individual named E.V., it was determined that he gave a signal in the vicinity of Bağcılar Şafak Hospital on the date the deceased individual S.A. underwent stomach surgery, as well as on the days before and after this date, even though he was not an employee of the hospital in question."

The statement of E.V. was also included in the indictment prepared by the prosecutor's office.

E.V., who stated that he has been in the profession for 26 years, claimed that he was given a temporary ban from the profession by the Ministry of Health in 2019 due to an obesity surgery he performed in 2015, that this penalty was later lifted by the Ministry of Health due to the pandemic, and that in September 2023, the ban decision was served to him due to the 2015 case file.

Claiming that he stopped working actively during this period, E.V. stated that because he had 26 years of experience, he referred patients who called him for obesity issues to operator Dr. Ş.C., whose surgery he trusted, and that he personally dealt with the patients actively.

Stating that he did not actively participate in surgeries because his ban from the profession continued and that he was only in the position of an observer, E.V. declared, "After my ban from the profession ended this September, I continued to actively deal with patients' problems and refer them to surgical branches I trusted for the surgery to be performed so as not to lose my patient population, as I would return to and practice the general surgery profession I have been doing for 26 years. I did not perform S.A.'s gastric sleeve surgery. The investigation is ongoing in line with the complaints made regarding the matter."