Outrage erupts as two doctors suspended over objectifaction of patients

ISTANBUL

Fury is mounting across Türkiye’s medical community as two assistant doctors from a university hospital in the central city of Konya have been suspended after a series of offensive and unethical messages targeting female patients surfaced online.

The disturbing conversations between the two doctors at Selçuk University’s faculty of medicine included remarks objectifying female patients, triggering dual investigation by both the Health Ministry and university administration.

While authorities suspended the doctors involved, professional organizations and medical chambers condemned the behavior, stressing it violates medical ethics and the principles of the Hippocratic Oath.

Speaking to daily Hürriyet, Professor Dr. Osman Küçükosmanoğlu, president of an Istanbul medical chamber, expressed his dismay. “These statements have caused deep sorrow and anger within the medical community. Seeing patients as sexual objects is absolutely unacceptable.”

Professor Dr. Nergis Erdoğan, former president of the same medical chamber, emphasized that while such incidents are rare, they must be handled with utmost seriousness.

“Rare incidents like this can occur in any profession. But this behavior is not reflective of the 99.9 percent of doctors who carry out their duties ethically,” she said. “As a woman and a doctor, I can say without hesitation that this behavior has no place in our profession.”

Turkish Medical Association’s (TTB) commission of women and women’s health also issued a statement, denouncing the remarks as an example of entrenched misogyny and a violation of medical ethics.