Audit Bombshell: Turkish Hospitals Built Without Safety Standards
Health Sector
A newly released Court of Accounts (Sayıştay) audit report has uncovered serious irregularities in Türkiye’s hospital construction projects under the Ministry of Health, raising alarming questions about public safety and accountability.
The 2024 audit of the Ministry of Health, published this week, highlights structural flaws, missing safety features, and failures in medical equipment procurement across multiple hospital projects.
23 Projects Under Scrutiny
According to Cumhuriyet, the audit targeted 23 turnkey hospital construction projects tendered by the Ministry’s General Directorate of Health Investments.
Findings revealed:
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Contract deadlines were unrealistic compared to the size and scope of the projects.
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Many hospitals were not completed on time, leaving critical infrastructure unfinished.
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Oversight of contracts and compliance was deemed inadequate.
Critical Safety Gaps in Hospitals
The report exposes shocking construction flaws that directly endanger patients and staff:
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Ordu City Hospital (900 beds): Heating, ventilation, and smoke-extraction systems were missing or incomplete.
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Hatay Samandağ State Hospital (75 beds): Operating rooms lacked the mandatory lead shielding, a vital protection against radiation exposure during medical procedures.
Auditors warned that such deficiencies represent a major health risk and show a failure to enforce safety standards in critical healthcare facilities.
Medical Equipment Failures
Beyond construction, the report highlighted alarming shortcomings in medical equipment supply and maintenance:
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Hospitals did not receive all equipment promised under contracts.
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Equipment supplied by private contractors often arrived incomplete or non-compliant.
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Repairs for broken equipment were delayed or not carried out, undermining patient care.
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Even the procurement of essential medicines by the Ministry fell short of expected standards.
Public Health at Stake
Sayıştay emphasized that these failures are not just technical or financial issues — they pose a direct threat to public health and safety. Missing ventilation systems, absent lead shielding, and non-functional medical devices could have life-threatening consequences for both patients and medical staff.
The findings are likely to spark new debates over transparency in public tenders, accountability in health infrastructure, and whether Türkiye’s healthcare system is prepared for emergencies.