An 8-month pregnant woman died on Monday over the lack of doctors at a state-run hospital in Cizre district of Şırnak province. It was reported that 31-year-old Peyruze Pulat, who was hospitalized due to suffering from severe aches, died at Cizre State Hospital after a while in intensive care without any interference by doctors.
According to the reports in Turkish media, all gynecologists at the hospital have left the hospital over the past month, with four resigning, one reassigned to another hospital, and another on leave for the Eid al-Adha.
Pulat’s husband Hüsnü Pulat has said his wife and unborn child died due to neglect and filed a complaint at the Şırnak Chief Prosecutor’s Office. “My wife died in pain right before our eyes. When I went to Şırnak for the autopsy, I explained the incident to the prosecutor and filed a complaint. I lost my wife and my baby and I want all those responsible of this to be punished,” Pulat said. He added that when they went to the Cizre State Hospital, the doctors called other hospitals in different districts to find a gynecologist but were unable to find one and therefore made his wife wait in the intensive care unit.
The hospital has also issued a statement and said that “the baby and the mother could not be saved despite all efforts.” The statement has claimed that “Our initiatives regarding doctor assignments will continue with higher sensitivity,” by adding that Pulat’s pregnancy was a high-risk one and therefore should have been taken care of at a faculty or a research and training hospital.
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu slammed the incident on his Twitter account and stated that “A reminder for Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who constantly says ‘have at least three children.’ An eight-month pregnant woman died due to the lack of gynecologists at the Cizre State Hospital.”
