COVID-19 in eastern Turkey: Patients sent home, health workers exhausted

* Photo: Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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In provinces where the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was partly under control, the number of cases has been rapidly increasing since restrictions and measures were lifted on June 1.

As the number of COVID-19 cases is increasing more and more, especially the patients diagnosed with the virus in Turkey's eastern and southeastern provinces of Diyarbakır, Mardin, Van, Urfa, Antep and Batman cannot be hospitalized as they cannot find a place in hospitals.

Hospitals are working at full capacity and new inpatients cannot be admitted to hospitals even when they need to. They are either sent home with recommended medication or referred to other provinces.

Within this context, Diyarbakır Medical Chamber Chair Elif Turan, Antep Medical Chamber Chair Ayşegül Ateş, Mardin Medical Chamber Chair Volkan Binbaş, Batman Medical Chamber Chair Selahattin Oğuz and Van Medical Chamber Chair Hüseyin Yaviç have spoken to bianet about the latest situation in their provinces amid COVID-19 outbreak.

The physicians have underlined that the occupancy rate in hospitals has reached a hundred percent, noting that the cases have come to an uncontrollable point when compared to the pre-normalization period.

'There is an increase in all provinces'

Diyarbakır Medical Chamber Chair Dr. Elif Turan:

"We cannot access official numbers, but there is an increase in all provinces in the region. Hospitals are working at full capacity. There is circulation at hospitals. As hospitals are full, patients are sent home.

"As of August 6, we had 346 infected health workers, but today (August 10), this number is 361. It is rapidly increasing when compared to four days ago. As far as we could detect, the number of infected health workers was 95 as of May 23; but, this has increased by 2.5 times in two months.

"Before June 1, there was a sensitivity, an awareness among the public. But normalization was misrepresented and misunderstood. In the current situation, it cannot be overcome only by individual measures. Those who do not show symptoms are not tested, we can diagnose these people only by testing them. That is why, tests need to be more widespread.

'Losing so many patients is exhausting for health workers'

"Struggling against the pandemic does not only mean treatment, it also means prevention. Test, contact tracing and the first line need to be strengthened. Health workers are exhausted. Figures and numbers do not have a soul, but each and every number means a life for us. Losing so many patients is exhausting for healthcare workers."

'Number of daily cases reaches 300-350 in Antep'

Antep Medical Chamber Chair Dr. Ayşegül Ateş:

"As far as we have been informed by our colleagues working in the field, the number of daily cases in Antep reaches 300-350. We learnt that the number of inpatients was almost 1,500 four days ago. Pandemic services and intensive cares of hospitals are full.

'Health workers are exhausted'

"New inpatients are admitted into hospitals after others are discharged. Those who cannot be admitted as inpatients are sent home.

"There are almost 20 thousand patients who have been detected in contact tracing works in Antep. While it is hard to trace even them, we do not know how the patients who are sent home will be traced.

"It has been five months and health workers are tired; both contact tracing teams and healthcare personnel at hospitals are exhausted, they are in a state of burnout. I have been a physician of 20 years and I have never witnessed such a level of burnout all through my career."

'It has increased by 20 times since June 1'

Mardin Medical Chamber Chair Dr. Volkan Binbaş:

"After the restrictions were lifted on June 1, the number of cases has dramatically increased; there is almost a 20-fold increase when compared to the period before June 1. The total number of our cases has exceeded 5 thousand now. The occupancy rate of hospitals in Mardin and its districts has reached a hundred percent. The patients who are in need of hospitalization cannot be admitted as inpatients due this occupancy.

'Patients are sent home'

"COVID-19 patients are given medication for five days and sent home; family physicians are asked to follow them at home. A family physician is expected to follow up at least 10 patients whose PCR tests have turned out to be positive and who are requested to be followed up at home. As far as we have been informed by our colleagues working in the field, there is a serious increase in the number of deaths.

'Number of infected health workers has reached 300s'

"There is no inspection and the outbreak is increasing exponentially. The autumn is approaching and it will reach an uncontrollable point with the onset of seasonal diseases. Strict measures need to be taken as soon as possible. Moreover, the increase in the outbreak has a direct effect on health workers. Healthcare workers are not tested.

"Those who have tested positive for the virus are made to work again before completing 14-15 day period. If a healthcare worker does not have symptoms, he or she is not tested. There is serious chaos in Mardin now, there are no detailed data, but the number of health workers who have tested positive for the virus has reached 300s."

'Pandemic hospitals are full in Van'

Van Medical Chamber Chair Dr. Hüseyin Yaviç:

"Services are full at pandemic hospitals. The C block of the regional hospital are evacuated for the pandemic. Intensive care units are 70 percent full. The average number of daily cases is around 200s in Van. There are too many patients in especially İpekyol district.

'150 health workers are infected'

"There are several infected healthcare workers, especially among the ones working in the first line services. We know that around 150 of our fellow healthcare workers are infected. But we cannot confirm it.

"The authorities need to abandon their discourse of normalization. Because the conditions of normalization are not in place. Economic and social support need to be provided, the process must not be entirely left to people's initiative. Pandemic cannot be prevented only with individual measures, it needs to be handled with general policies."

'PCR tests of 6,500 people are positive in Batman'

Batman Medical Chamber Chair Dr. Selahattin Oğuz:

"There has been a serious increase in the number of cases in Batman after June 1. The number of our daily cases is now 100, this nyumber sometimes reaches 200. We have heard that the total number of people whose PCR tests are positive in Batman are 6,500.

"Services and intensive care units are all full in Batman Regional Public Hospital. The patients who are in a relatively better condition, but still need to be treated in a hospital are sent home.

'Tests are not conducted'

"There are serious problems about tests, tests are not conducted. Those who have clinical findings and show symptoms are tested.

"The test range has been narrowed down. We have learned that tests are not conducted for a month, again. Tests are sent outside Batman. Those identified in contact tracing are not tested.

"The rate of infection is very high among health workers. The prolongation of the process is also affecting health workers negatively.

"With the increase in number of cases, the number of infected health workers is increasing as well. Only the health workers who show symptoms are tested. This also poses a serious risk to public health.

"The number of infected health workers was around 20-25 before June 1, but it is now over 200. We are not given any information. Working conditions need to be arranged according to pandemic." (RT/SD)