The "Newborn Gang" Scandal in Türkiye: Ethics in a Neoliberal Health System

In October 2024, Türkiye was shocked by the "Newborn Gang" scandal, in which a network of healthcare professionals allegedly exploited newborns for financial gain in private hospitals. The accused are charged with intentionally neglecting, mistreating or even killing of healthy infants in neonatal intensive care units to prolong their stays and maximize government reimbursements. This paper critically examines the structural and ethical failures exposed by the 2024 "Newborn Gang" scandal in Türkiye, in which healthcare professionals in private hospitals allegedly allowed or caused the deaths of newborns to profit from the state's healthcare reimbursement system. Drawing on the frameworks of neoliberal critique and medical humanities, the study argues that such extreme violations are not isolated incidents of individual misconduct, but manifestations of deeper systemic vulnerabilities fostered by the neoliberalization of healthcare. It explores how deregulation, market incentives, and the erosion of ethical values-exacerbated by Türkiye's Health Transformation Program-have created an environment where financial gain is prioritized over patient welfare. Comparative case studies are employed to contextualize these findings within broader global patterns of ethical collapse in healthcare systems influenced by market logic. The paper contends that merely strengthening oversight is insufficient; rather, a structural reorientation is needed. As a potential alternative, the study introduces Value-Based Healthcare as a model that aligns clinical outcomes with ethical imperatives. Ultimately, the paper calls for a fundamental moral recalibration of healthcare-one that affirms care, integrity, and justice as core values over profit and efficiency.