‘We don’t say it as a slogan, we have really burned out'

* Photo: Kocaelidebugün

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The Chief Physician of Dicle University Hospitals in Diyarbakır and the Chief Physician of Ankara University Hospitals in the capital city of Ankara have decided to call the COVID-infected health workers back to work without waiting for their tests to turn to negative. Official letters have been sent by both chief physicians to the related units.

In the letters regarding the return of COVID-infected health workers to work after their treatment, it has been indicated that those who were treated as outpatients will continue working after 10 days, those treated as inpatients will continue working after 14 days and those treated in intensive care will continue working after 20 days without being tested for the virus again.

'Being contacts doesn't necessitate a test'

The letters of the chief physicians have also indicated that loss of sense of taste and smell or cough will not prevent people from working.

"That a person's colleagues from the same department or the patients he or she treated test positive or contact positive patients does not necessitate being tested," the letters have read, adding that "one needs to continue working with a mask as long as there are no symptoms."

The letters have also indicated, "As it is known that those who work in the hospital cannot work without masks, health workers have been set apart in the guide. The failure to work with masks or to pay attention to social distance will lead to penal sanctions."

Against this backdrop, Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Chair Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Health and Social Service Laborers' Union (SES) Co-Chair Selma Atabey and Diyarbakır Medical Chamber Chair Elif Turan have spoken to bianet about the conditions of health workers in Turkey amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Korur Fincancı: It triggers infection risk

Korur Fincancı has noted that one cannot start working without being tested: "One cannot start working in 10 days without looking at his or her test result. It is a syndrome, it can give serious damage to organs. It can lead to more serious health problems later and causes death. Moreover, it is also a grave risk in terms of public health. It is something that can trigger infection risk. It is not something that can be accepted."

Turan: We catch COVID-19 for the second time

"According to this decision, PCR test has no meaning," Dr. Elif Turan has said and added, "A struggle cannot be waged against the pandemic by putting the burden on health workers' shoulders.

"Health workers' risk of catching the virus is 13 percent, health workers now catch COVID-19 for the second time. Taking such a decision when it is the case means turning a blind eye to health workers' death."

'Health workers lack in number for 20 years'

As for Selma Atabey, she has underlined that the number of health workers falls short of meeting the needs of the population:

"Over the past 20 years, healthcare services have been offered with a lacking number of personnel. We do not know the total number of health workers working in the field since 2019, because it is not shared.

"We have been trying to offer services with a lacking number of health workers during the pandemic as well. Our working conditions have got much worse due to our insufficient number.

"Our working hours are too long and we constantly have shifts. We even have difficulties eating. While we have been struggling at the very forefront, there are constantly plans made about health workers.

"When you fall ill, you spend 14 days in quarantine. If the test turns out to be positive after 14 days, 7 days are added to these 14 days.

"But it is not how things work for health workers. If the test is positive, another test is done a week later; if the second test is negative, he or she starts working again. If the test is positive, he or she is quarantined for 4 days, then summoned back to work without looking at the test result."

'Ministry's policies lead to resignations'

Atabey has also reminded us that the Ministry of Health has suspended health workers' right to demand leave or retirement:

"The Ministry is aware of how exhausted and burned-out health workers are, that is why leaves and resignations have been cancelled.

"Health workers placed in a quarantine are summoned back to work. What pushes health workers to resign is the Ministry. Because the policies of the Health Ministry do not see health workers.

"Health workers have been deprived of all rights. We do not say it as a slogan, we have really burned out. We have been working 24/7.

"Our two fellow healthcare workers committed suicide in this process. A fellow nurse from Dicle University and a fellow physician in Muş province left letters behind and took their own lives."

'400 thousand workers await appointment'

Concluding her remarks, Atabey has said that there are 400 thousand healthcare workers in Turkey waiting for their appointment:

"In Italy and the UK, retired health personnel have been summoned back to work due to the increasing workload during the pandemic.

"There are tens of thousands of people who have been discharged or have graduated in Turkey. There are 400 thousand health workers who have recently graduated, have been discharged or cannot start working for reasons such as security investigations. These people can be summoned to work, but the squeeze is put on the health personnel in the field.

"Moreover, 65 percent of health workers are women, which means that this burden has been shouldered by women, too." (RT/SD)