Skip to main content

Turkey’s political divide spills over to treatment of critically ill infants

Children suffering from a deadly neuromuscular disorder have found themselves at the heart of political polarization in Turkey after the opposition called for extra funds for their ultra-expensive treatment.
Jens, a 5 years-old boy diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), walks with a new Marsi Bionics exoskeleton designed for children at Sant Joan de Deu Hospital in Barcelona on November 29, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / PAU BARRENA        (Photo credit should read PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)
Read in 

ANKARA, Turkey — Few would have thought that Turkey’s political divide — running deep on myriad issues, from economic woes and femicides to pandemic measures and university rectors — could extend to critically ill infants in need of costly treatment to survive. The new rift, involving ministers and opposition figures, has come as a stunning milestone in the divisions of Turkish society, leaving the families of the sick children dismayed. 

Lying at the core of the controversy are the limits Ankara has set in covering the ultra-expensive treatment of infants with spinal muscular atrophy, a deadly genetic disorder that progressively destroys nerve cells controlling the muscles.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.