29.07.2025 10:45
A woman who went to a private hospital in Ankara when her labor pains began ended up giving birth herself due to the absence of an on-call doctor. An anesthesiologist who happened to be at the hospital assisted the woman during her delivery. While the family filed a complaint against the hospital, their lawyer stated, "She gave birth in the hospital room just like people did a thousand years ago in a cave."
A woman named Nihal Ş. (32) in Ankara went to a private hospital in Çankaya with her husband on the morning of May 10 when she began experiencing labor pains in the 35th week of her pregnancy.
SHE GAVE BIRTH TO HER SON ALONE IN THE PRIVATE HOSPITAL
According to allegations, Nihal Ş., who was admitted to the maternity clinic, gave birth herself in the evening of the same day due to the absence of an on-duty doctor at the hospital. It was claimed that another anesthesiologist, who was visiting the hospital, intervened when Nihal Ş. gave birth to a baby boy in the room. Both the baby and the mother were treated at the hospital after the birth.
WHAT WAS PROMISED WAS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
After being discharged from the hospital, Nihal Ş. and her husband filed a complaint with the Ministry of Health regarding the hospital and also reported the incident to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. In the complaint petition prepared and submitted by their lawyer, it was noted that when the couple approached the hospital, it was stated that the birth would be conducted under sterile conditions and in accordance with current medical developments with the assistance of an obstetrician. However, despite Nihal Ş. informing the nurses and staff that she was starting to give birth, it was stated that no intervention was made by the on-duty doctor, nor was there any action taken to transfer her to the delivery room. It was noted that no health personnel intervened during the birth, which occurred spontaneously in the patient’s room. It was claimed that Nihal Ş. fell into a serious psychological crisis due to this incident, and that the health of both the mother and child was disregarded, leading to a demand for the responsible parties to be punished.
On the other hand, no statement was made by the hospital regarding the incident.
"SHE GAVE BIRTH LIKE PEOPLE WHO GAVE BIRTH IN CAVES A THOUSAND YEARS AGO"
Following the claim that Nihal Ş. gave birth in the room due to the absence of a doctor, her lawyer Kadir Cem Temtek filed a complaint with the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Temtek stated the following in his explanation.
"My client and her husband said that a doctor or midwife should intervene when labor began, but either there was no on-duty doctor at the hospital that day, or despite the presence of an on-duty doctor, my client gave birth in the hospital room like people who gave birth in caves a thousand years ago due to a lack of timely intervention. And a specialist doctor from another hospital, who happened to be there and whose field was not obstetrics, intervened in accordance with the oath to save lives and saved both the child and the mother's life. In a year that is expressed as the family year of 2025, emphasizing the importance of the child and mother, in the 21st century, in the heart of Ankara, in Çankaya, a woman gave birth alone in a room filled with blood and painful screams without any doctor’s supervision, examination, or intervention; we could have lost both the mother and the child. Perhaps the lives of the mother and child were saved by the intervention of a visiting doctor. We applied to the hospital regarding this. We expressed that this grievance should be remedied, and our application was made two months after the incident. The hospital did not take any positive steps. In response to our application, the hospital exhibited a more aggressive attitude, stating that they could also collect the expenses of the child in intensive care from us. We have started a legal battle regarding this. We have filed a complaint with the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. We hope that an investigation will also be conducted by the Ministry of Health," he said.
"THEY ARE MAKING MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENTS CLAIMING THERE IS A DOCTOR ON DUTY 24 HOURS"
Lawyer Temtek stated that after the incident, the hospital told them that the birth that occurred was a natural birth and that there are people who advocate for this type of birth, adding, "However, when we examined their social media accounts, they are making misleading advertisements and information claiming that painless births are performed under the name of 'princess birth' and that there is an on-duty doctor in their hospital 24 hours a day. They will defend themselves in a way that is not fair and even stated that we are in the wrong. Currently, there is no problem with the health of the mother and baby. We do not know whether the effects of this incident will have long-term consequences. Of course, this will be determined by medical professionals. We trust the judiciary and believe that our state will take care of maternal and child health," he stated.