Investigation blames understaffing for babies' deaths in Turkey

06/08/2008

ANKARA, Turkey -- An investigation suggests a personnel shortage likely caused the deaths of dozens of babies last month at a state hospital in Ankara. According to media reports Wednesday (August 6th), the health ministry appointed a team of six doctors to investigate the matter. The Zekai Tahir Burak Hospital acknowledged that 27 newborns died there in the past two weeks but blamed most on complications related to premature delivery. A health workers' union, however, faulted poor sanitary conditions and negligence. The investigating committee found that a total of 49 babies died at the hospital in July, one fourth of them from infection. Yet it also turned up overcrowding: the 122-baby-capacity hospital treated an average of 148 babies during the past month. "We believe the increased number of babies and the decrease in personnel are to blame for the deaths," said Dr. Fahri Ovali. (Zaman, Sabah - 06/08/08, Turkish Press, AP - 05/08/08)