- Katılım
- Ocak 16, 2025
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Following the scandal of the ‘Newborn Mob’, which led to the deaths of many babies and was found to gain ill-gotten profit from the SGK, the public's attention focused on the infant delivery units of hospitals. SGK submitted a report to the members of the commission established by the Turkish Grand National Assembly to investigate the Newborn Mob scandal in all its aspects.
SGK, in its 2024 report, found that the ‘surfactant group’ drugs used in the treatment of premature infants' respiratory failure were invoiced in a remarkably high amount. The report stated that in 2023, 59 thousand 197 surfactant group drugs with a total value of 290 million 780 thousand 759 TL (~8 million USD) were invoiced to the SGK.
Hospitals invoiced for the drugs used for the prevention of deaths and diseases associated with pre-term labour also drew attention. Based on the report, 61% of the surfactant group drugs invoiced to the SGK were prescribed by private and secondary care hospitals.
The list of hospitals invoicing surfactant group drugs was also revealed in the report. It was found out that a hospital in Ağrı billed up to 6.57 units of the drug, while the average in Turkey was 2.34 units per person. The hospital used a total of 1084 boxes of medication for 165 people. This high number of medications invoiced to the SGK was labelled as ‘Remarkably high’ in the report of the SGK.
Besides the hospital in Ağrı, it was also documented that a private hospital in Siirt invoiced 5.74 units of medication per person.
Evaluating the SGK's report for BirGün, CHP member Turan Taşkın Özer underlined that the sale of surfactant group drugs to external outlets by invoicing them to the SGK was also the subject of the trial of the Newborn Mob.
Emphasising that SGK's documents reveal that another drug belonging to the surfactant group was invoiced in higher doses than required and drawing attention to the private hospital in Ağrı, Özer said: ‘It must be revealed why this hospital invoiced so many drugs, whether these drugs were actually used or whether they were used for unjust profit methods otherwise.
Özer stated that another reason why irregularities in the health system cannot be prevented is that the punishments are not effective as a deterrent and added as follows:
‘The hospitals where the so-called newborn mob operated were also closed down when the case was publicised. However, the system should take the necessary action after such irregularities before feeling the pressure of the public. Because the state's responsibility is to provide health services that are the fundamental right of every citizen, not to commercialise these services. However, health ministers who own private hospitals, instead of preserving public health they are responsible for, have led to the downfall of the public health system, while benefiting private hospitals with regulations aimed at protecting the interests of private hospitals.
The scandal is not limited to newborn intensive care, and it should be established why the SGK did not carry out a special investigation as an institution for such findings and why it did not coordinate with the Health Ministry, and why no investigation was carried out if it did.’
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A group of drugs used particularly for the treatment of respiratory failure in premature babies, preventing the deflation of the lungs by reducing the surface tension.
Note: This text has been translated from the article entitled Yenidoğan Çetesi buzdağının görünen kısmı mı: SGK’ye rekor ilaç faturası published in BirGün newspaper on February 7, 2025.
SGK, in its 2024 report, found that the ‘surfactant group’ drugs used in the treatment of premature infants' respiratory failure were invoiced in a remarkably high amount. The report stated that in 2023, 59 thousand 197 surfactant group drugs with a total value of 290 million 780 thousand 759 TL (~8 million USD) were invoiced to the SGK.
WEIGHT ON PRIVATE HOSPITALS
Hospitals invoiced for the drugs used for the prevention of deaths and diseases associated with pre-term labour also drew attention. Based on the report, 61% of the surfactant group drugs invoiced to the SGK were prescribed by private and secondary care hospitals.
6.5 UNITS PER PATIENT
The list of hospitals invoicing surfactant group drugs was also revealed in the report. It was found out that a hospital in Ağrı billed up to 6.57 units of the drug, while the average in Turkey was 2.34 units per person. The hospital used a total of 1084 boxes of medication for 165 people. This high number of medications invoiced to the SGK was labelled as ‘Remarkably high’ in the report of the SGK.
Besides the hospital in Ağrı, it was also documented that a private hospital in Siirt invoiced 5.74 units of medication per person.
ITS USE SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED
Evaluating the SGK's report for BirGün, CHP member Turan Taşkın Özer underlined that the sale of surfactant group drugs to external outlets by invoicing them to the SGK was also the subject of the trial of the Newborn Mob.
Emphasising that SGK's documents reveal that another drug belonging to the surfactant group was invoiced in higher doses than required and drawing attention to the private hospital in Ağrı, Özer said: ‘It must be revealed why this hospital invoiced so many drugs, whether these drugs were actually used or whether they were used for unjust profit methods otherwise.
THEIR INTERESTS ARE SECURED
Özer stated that another reason why irregularities in the health system cannot be prevented is that the punishments are not effective as a deterrent and added as follows:
‘The hospitals where the so-called newborn mob operated were also closed down when the case was publicised. However, the system should take the necessary action after such irregularities before feeling the pressure of the public. Because the state's responsibility is to provide health services that are the fundamental right of every citizen, not to commercialise these services. However, health ministers who own private hospitals, instead of preserving public health they are responsible for, have led to the downfall of the public health system, while benefiting private hospitals with regulations aimed at protecting the interests of private hospitals.
The scandal is not limited to newborn intensive care, and it should be established why the SGK did not carry out a special investigation as an institution for such findings and why it did not coordinate with the Health Ministry, and why no investigation was carried out if it did.’
∗∗∗
WHAT IS SURFACTANT GROUP MEDICINE?
A group of drugs used particularly for the treatment of respiratory failure in premature babies, preventing the deflation of the lungs by reducing the surface tension.
Note: This text has been translated from the article entitled Yenidoğan Çetesi buzdağının görünen kısmı mı: SGK’ye rekor ilaç faturası published in BirGün newspaper on February 7, 2025.