27 infants die in Turkish hospital

ANKARA, Turkey, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Turkish health officials say they have halted admissions of some expectant mothers to an Ankara hospital where 27 infants have died in a two-week period.

The officials said pregnant women at risk for premature deliveries are being blocked from entering Ankara's Dr. Zekai Tarik Burak Hospital in the wake of the infant deaths, which angry parents say were caused by unhealthy conditions at the hospital, Today's Zaman reported Tuesday.

Hospital officials deny the claims and Turkish Health Minister Recep Akdag has set up a government commission to investigate the deaths.

The hospital's administrator said a top-to-bottom inspection of the facility was performed and no evidence of infections from unsanitary conditions was found but a healthcare workers' union claims lax sanitation is to blame for the infant deaths, the newspaper said.