Newborn gang: A doctor who was expelled from the profession has performed surgery.

In Istanbul, by acting in coordination with the personnel working at the 112 Emergency Call Center, it was alleged that 22 of the 47 suspects, who were prepared for an indictment due to causing the deaths of emergency infant patients by transferring them to the neonatal units of private hospitals they had previously agreed upon and obtaining unjust profits, included a tape recording of a doctor whose diploma was suspended performing an obesity surgery on a patient who subsequently died.

In the 1399-page indictment prepared by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, 197 criminal acts were listed, along with phone conversations that took place among the suspects regarding these acts.

EVEN PERFORMED SURGERY WITH A FORGED SIGNATURE

According to the tape recordings, in addition to conversations about the deaths of infants, it was understood that Dr. E.V, who performed gastric sleeve surgeries, operated on S.A at Bağcılar Private Şafak Hospital, which had its license revoked, on December 18, 2023, and that S.A subsequently died.

In some conversations of the suspect Murat Mantuş, the following discussions were recorded:

"E.O: Bro, someone died from a stomach surgery yesterday afternoon. They had surgery two days ago. E.V. did it.

Suspect Murat Mantuş: So what?

E.O: Bro, they discharged the patient from the hospital two days after the surgery. After going home, the patient called E.V. saying they had nausea and vomiting. E.V. didn't do much on the phone, saying these could be normal things. Then they called again, saying it was very bad and that they were bringing the patient to the hospital. When they brought them, the patient was already not in a good state. They started the intervention, informing that they were intervening, and an hour later, they informed the family with condolences."

Suspect Murat Mantuş: E.V. is doing it under someone else's name, the hospital allows this.

E.O: That's a big problem. E.V.'s diploma was probably suspended, bro.

Suspect Murat Mantuş: Yes, it's illegal for him to perform surgeries.

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

MONEY WAS OFFERED TO ANOTHER DOCTOR

In the indictment, it was stated that in conversations among the suspects, M.K, who worked as the assistant manager of the Bağcılar Private Şafak Hospital, told A.F.Y, a general surgery specialist at the same hospital, that Dr. E.V would bring a patient to the hospital, and that E.V. would pay A.F.Y 1,000 lira per case if he participated in the surgery, but A.F.Y did not agree to participate.

It was noted in the indictment that M.K said, "Okay, we can do the case, no problem, but will you enter? You're already using your stamp," indicating that E.V. was using another doctor's stamp unlawfully in the surgeries he performed at the hospital, and it was recorded that E.V.'s aim was to distance himself from the issue by stating that he had never participated in the surgeries if a problem arose with the patients later, and that the procedures were carried out by expert general surgeons.

CAMERA FOOTAGE WAS HIDDEN

In the conversations, it was expressed that E.V., whose diploma was suspended, performed obesity surgeries under another doctor's name, and in conversations among M.K, the assistant manager of the hospital, the responsible manager S.Y., and O.G., it was mentioned that they would ask the doctor referred to as "R. hoca" to make it appear as if he performed S.A's surgery, while E.V. would say he was an observer.

In the indictment, it was stated that the suspicious death report regarding the patient S.A, who died after the surgery, was sent to the Yüzyıl Police Station, and that camera footage from the day of the death was requested from the hospital, but M.K responded that "there is no camera footage."

PERFORMED SURGERY WITHOUT EVEN HAVING SCISSORS USAGE AUTHORITY

In the indictment, it was assessed that the camera footage from the hospital was attempted to be concealed, and it was emphasized that E.V., who did not even have the authority to use scissors, was knowingly and willingly overlooked due to the payment made to the hospital for surgeries, and that the lives of patients coming for obesity surgeries were not taken seriously at all.

In the records of the obesity surgeries performed by Dr. E.V. at the hospital, it was stated that the signature of a doctor named "Şaban" was found as the responsible physician, and it was reported that E.V. was made to appear as if he had not participated in the surgeries. The indictment included the statement, "As a result of the HTS examinations of the person named E.V., it was determined that S.A., who underwent gastric surgery, was not an employee of Bağcılar Şafak Hospital on the date of the surgery and on the days before and after that date, yet he was found to be in the vicinity of the mentioned hospital."

DENIED PERFORMING THE SURGERIES

The indictment prepared by the prosecutor's office also included E.V.'s statement. E.V., who stated that he was in his 26th year in the profession, claimed that he was temporarily banned from practicing by the Ministry of Health in 2019 due to the obesity surgery he performed in 2015, and that after some time, this ban was lifted again by the Ministry of Health due to the pandemic, and that in September 2023, the ban decision regarding the case from 2015 was notified to him.

E.V. claimed that he stopped actively working during this period, but due to his 26 years of experience, he referred patients who called him for obesity to the operator Dr. Ş.C, whom he trusted for surgery, and stated that he was actively involved with the patients.

E.V. expressed that he did not participate in surgeries actively due to the continuation of his ban from the profession, stating that he was only in an observer position, and said, "After my ban from the profession ends this September, I will return to the general surgery profession I have been practicing for 26 years, and to avoid losing the patient population, I continued to actively address patients' issues and refer them to trusted surgical branches for surgery. I did not perform S.A's gastric sleeve surgery. The investigation is ongoing based on the complaints made regarding the issue."