‘Vaccination is a must for controlled normalization’

* Photo: TTB

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Labor and occupational organizations in healthcare organized a joint press conference regarding the relaxation of COVID-19 measures in Turkey.

Held in the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Central Office in the capital Ankara today (March 4), the press conference was attended by TTB Secretary General Vedat Bulut and Health and Social Service Laborers Union (SES) Co-Chairs Selma Atabey and Hüsnü Yıldırım.

Addressing the audience, TTB Secretary General Bulut has underlined that normalization steps have been prematurely taken in Turkey, stressing that the vaccination and measures are a must for controlled steps.

'Health workers are more concerned'

Taking the floor at the press conference, SES Union Co-Chair Selma Atabey has said that health workers are getting more concerned, seeing that the measures are relaxed amid the spread of mutant viruses and the Health Ministry does not share information in a transparent manner.

Raising concerns that the number of non-COVID patients received by medical institutions will increase in the upcoming period, Atabey has underlined that healthcare workers will keep on struggling for their rights ranging from personal protective equipment to additional payments, working hours to the official recognition of COVID-19 as an occupational disease.

Hüsnü Yıldırım has also criticized the government's attitude, which is "far away from being equal." Noting that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is raising difficulties for social groups while engaging in its political activities, Yılıdırım has said that the results of this attitude can be seen in the colorful map shared by the Ministry of Health.

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Bulut: Vaccination can take 2-4 years

Dr. Vedat Bulut read out the joint statement for the press on behalf of six labor and occupational organizations in healthcare.

Underlining that the total number of vaccine jabs does not show the rate of immunization, Bulut has said, "Giving 9 million doses of vaccine does not mean immunizing 10 percent of the population. Only 2 million citizens have been vaccinated with the second dose and only 2 percent of society will be immunized two weeks after the vaccination."

According to the joint statement of the organizations, at least 70 percent of the population must be immunized so that social immunization can be achieved. "Seven weeks have passed since January 13, when vaccination began. At the current pace, two to four years must pass to ensure 70 percent immunization of the population," the statement has read.

'It was a premature decision'

Referring to the first "normalization" in Turkey as of June 1, Bulut has noted that the new decisions have also been prematurely taken.

"14-28-day lockdown was not enforced, nearly 3 million of our citizens got sick as a result, even according to official numbers, and nearly 30 thousand citizens have lost their lives," Bulut has indicated, adding that "epidemiological studies have shown that the number of patients is much higher and extra deaths cannot be announced."

'No opinion exchange'

Commenting on the "on-site decisions" to be taken as part of "new controlled normalization" steps, Bulut has found it right to make "on-site decisions" about the possible imposition or relaxation of coronavirus measures, but raised concerns about the following points:

"In provinces, provincial public health boards do not sit on the same table for information and opinion exchange with all shareholders, namely the occupational organizations and the unions of healthcare workers.

"The observations of healthcare workers from the field are not reflected in the decisions; on the contrary, the lack of management/ mismanagement in pandemic is covered up with falsely fabricated numbers."

Economic hardships, unemployment

Noting that the daily number of cases-patients has topped 10 thousand in Turkey, Bulut has said, "Suffering from poverty and unemployment, people cannot find the money to buy masks, they have to work to bring bread home. The monthly kitchen expense of a four-member family is at least 100 lira. Those who do not see these realities expect our citizens to abide by cleaning, mask and distance rules at all moments of their daily lives."

Lockdown for 14-28 days

Bulut has made the following recommendations:

• 120-150 million doses of vaccines must be swiftly procured and vaccination must be more widespread in society.
• Fair and equal access to vaccines must be ensured.
• During vaccination, a lockdown of 14 to 28 days must be imposed in such a way that citizens are provided with financial assistance, as foreseen by the principles of social state, and individual mobility is protected while social restrictions are in place.

The signatories of the statement

Turkish Medical Association (TTB), Health and Social Service Laborers Union (SES), Progressive Health Workers Union, Turkish Nurses Association (THD), All Radiology Technicians Association (Tüm Rad-Der) and Social Service Specialists Association (SHU-Der). (TP/SD)