COVID-19: 'Situation in Ankara’s intensive care units is alarming’

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - Archive

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The Ankara Medical Chamber made a statement on its Twitter account on April 25 and has announced that the situation in the intensive care units of the capital city is alarming amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"In Ankara, the patients who are in need of intensive care are kept waiting in the emergency rooms for days or they have to be monitored in inpatient health institutions. Though the Health Minister denies it, the senior official affiliated with him says the opposite," the statement has read.

In its message titled "Intensive care units in Ankara are alarming", the Ankara Medical Chamber has briefy said:

"The remarks of a senior ministry bureaucrat showing the weakness in the face of requests for intensive care beds from private medical institutions:

'As of now, there are 30 COVID-19 intensive care patients and 15 non-COVID intensive care patients waiting at the crisis coordination center. My request from you is that you take action quickly and find beds for these patients of ours. Please check your intensive care units, get in contact with our crisis coordination center and take the patients you can take.'

"Healthcare is a Constitutional right. Every citizen has to access their right to equal and free healthcare. Fulfil your responsibility to the society. Expropriate private medical institutions immediately.

"If you cannot do this, do what is necessary immediately."

Minister Koca confirmed it

In the daily coronavirus table shared by the Ministry of Health everyday, the data as to the intensive care unit occupancy is updated every Monday. In the latest table shared on April 19, it was announced that the hospital bed occupancy rate was 56.3 percent, that of adult intensive care units was 69.1 percent and that of ventilators was 35.7 percent across Turkey. (TP/SD)