COVID-19 in Turkey: 8 tests for ruling AKP MP, none for health worker

* Photo on right-hand corner: Social media (the hand of a health worker at the end of his shift); other two photos: AA

Click to read the article in Turkish

Releasing a written statement, the Health and Social Service Laborers' Union (SES) İstanbul Şişli Branch has raised concerns that health workers are subjected to violations of rights in Turkey amid pandemic.

According to the statement of the union, Davut Ak, SES Branch Training and Organization Secretary working in İstinye Public Hospital, wanted to be tested for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as he showed the symptoms. However, the request of Ak has been rejected.

Within this context, SES statement has referred to ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Hatay MP Hacı Bayram Türkoğlu, who previously announced that he had been tested for COVID-19 for seven times over the past month and his last test on August 7 turned out to be positive.

Accordingly, the SES has indicated that "in conditions where an MP announces that he was tested for eight times in a month, it is unacceptable that some healthcare workers are arbitrarily prevented from being tested."

Kamuoyuna Saygı İle Duyurulur pic.twitter.com/hPAUGna5nb

— Hacı Bayram TÜRKOĞLU (@HBTurkoglu) August 8, 2020

SES Şişli Branch has made the following statement about Davut Ak:

'He could receive test results only in 72 hours'

"Having long-term diarrhea, extreme fatigue, difficulty in breathing and headache, our friend Davut Ak goes to the emergency service of the İstinye Public Hospital, where he has been working.

"Our friend, who is a health worker, says that he suspects he has COVID-19 and wants to be tested for the health safety of himself  and that of the hospital personnel and patients that he will come into contact with.

"Turning down this request of our friend, Vedat G, a physician from the emergency service of the hospital, says that he has the authority to request a test, that he will request it if he likes and, using slang expressions, he claims that they do not have enough kits.

"Though Davut Ak indicates that it is a must to test health laborers regularly and that he requests a test not out of a routine necessity, but because he shows the symptoms, he is subjected to scolds of Vedat G. and is not even admitted into the room, let alone being examined by him.

"Our fellow executive, only hours later, can be treated by a newly-arrived physician and tested for the virus.

"What is even worse, while people who get themselves tested for a certain fee so that they can go abroad can get their test results in 6-8 hours, our fellow health worker could get his test results only in almost 72 hours and he continued working in the meanwhile.

"It is meaningful that such grave violations are still ongoing in İstinye Public Hospital, where a chronically ill health laborer lost his life after he was forced to work despite having an administrative leave."

'Take the necessary action against the physician'

Concluding the statement, the SES Şişli Branch has reiterated its call that health workers be routinely tested for the virus in the current pandemic conditions where tens of thousands of healthcare workers are infected and hundreds of them lost their lives as a resul.

The union has also called on İstanbul Medical Association to take the necessary action against Vedat G., who refused to test Davut Ak and put his right to life at risk, and the Ministry of Health to impose the necessary sanctions on the related person by conducting an effective investigation. (AÖ/SD)