Turkey to investigate babies' deaths in state hospital

05/08/2008

ANKARA, Turkey -- The health ministry launched an investigation Monday (August 4th) into the deaths of 27 newborns at a state hospital in Ankara. The Zekai Tahir Burak Hospital acknowledged the babies died there in the past two weeks but said most had died from complications related to premature delivery. A health workers' union blames poor sanitary conditions and negligence.

In other news Monday, firefighters recovered the body of a person reported missing in the huge blaze that has raged in the southern Antalya province for the past several days. This was the second victim found in the village of Karatas. On Tuesday, officials announced firefighting teams had completely controlled Turkey's largest-ever forest fire. (Hurriyet, Anadolu news agency - 05/08/08; Hurriyet, Turkish Press, RIA Novosti, AP- 04/08/08)