Istanbul prosecutors open major prescription fraud case at Balikli Greek Hospital

Istanbul prosecutors launched a major operation at Balikli Greek Hospital after claims that staff in the child psychiatry department issued fake prescriptions and billed Türkiye’s Social Security Institution (SGK) for treatments that were never provided.

Authorities say the suspected scheme caused ₺112 million (around $2.64 million) in losses to the public health budget.

The Bakirkoy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced the operation on Nov. 21. The investigation covers alleged misconduct inside the child psychiatry unit between 2017 and 2021 under the direction of a doctor who worked in that department.

Inquiry focuses on fake prescriptions, unlawful data access

According to the prosecutor’s written statement, the group obtained patient data without consent and entered false examination records without registering them in the Medula system.

Prosecutors say the suspects created tens of thousands of red and green prescriptions even though no medical examination took place.

Several patterns have been uncovered during the investigation:

• patient entries made even though SGK did not give a provision
• prescriptions created for individuals who never visited the hospital
• prescriptions for patients who were followed in private clinics
• prescriptions written for people whose 10-day control date had already passed
• entries for individuals with records in other hospital departments, but none in child psychiatry
• protocol numbers produced without valid registration

Investigators say these records allowed the suspects to bill SGK for large quantities of medication that should not have been prescribed.

The prosecutor’s office states that the group issued these prescriptions “as if the patients had been examined”, even though some patients had no appointment, no hospital entry and no legal record in the Medula system.

Medication may have illegally reached foreign nationals, sent abroad

The investigation also includes accusations that part of the illegally obtained medication was sold to unidentified foreign nationals for financial gain.

Officials say these sales involved specific prices, although the prosecutor’s statement does not list figures.

Intelligence findings cited in the statement indicate attempts to move some of the red-prescription medicines outside Türkiye.

Prosecutors say the ongoing review shows a large volume of red-prescription drugs, stored in “more than 112 million boxes”, entered the system with no legitimate medical basis. Authorities continue to examine how these quantities were handled.

The Bakirkoy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued search, detention and arrest instructions for seven individuals:

• Dr. A.E. (professor)
• N.O. (medical secretary)
• Y.E. (pharmacist)
• A.H. (pharmacist)
• R.C. (pharmacy employee)
• C.K. (pharmaceutical representative)
• E.C. (pharmaceutical representative)

Prosecutors say the suspects are accused of forging official documents, defrauding a public institution and unlawfully accessing and using personal data. The operation continues on multiple fronts and the investigation remains wide in scope.

November 21, 2025 09:59 AM GMT+03:00