'In a first in my 64 years of professional life, my white gown was covered in mud'

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The Turkish Medical Association (TTB) held a press conference yesterday (March 22) and discussed the physicians' protests which culminated in the 2-day strike on March 14-15, violence in healthcare and the latest pledges expressed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The press conference of the TTB was attended by TTB Central Council Chair Prof. Şebnem Korur Fincancı and TTB Central Council member Dr. Çiğdem Arslan, İstanbul Medical Chamber (İTO) Chair Prof. Pınar Saip and İTO Secretary General Prof. Osman Küçükosmanoğlu as well as İTO Retired Physicians Commission Chair Dr. Erdinç Köksal.

Prof. Şebnem Korur Fincancı said that they would follow the debates at the Parliament regarding the legislative proposal foreseeing amendments pertaining to violence in healthcare and malpractice.

Dr. Erdinç Köksal, who fell on the ground during the police intervention against the physicians who wanted to lay a wreath on the Republic Monument in Taksim Square on March 14 Doctor's Day during the 2-day strike, also took the floor during the press conference.

Köksal briefly said:

"When we wanted to lay our wreath, we were faced with a wall of police. Physicians in their white gowns were pitted against young police officers. For the first time in my 64 years of professional life, my white gown was covered in mud. I give my gown covered in mud as a present to the İTO so that it will be reminiscent of this bad memory, a lesson from these days".

Köksal said that Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca called him and he told him about the requests of the TTB, physicians and healthcare workers.

İTO Chair Prof. Pınar Saip gave Dr. Erdinç Köksal a new white gown in place of the one covered in mud and presented to the İTO.

TTB Central Council member Dr. Çiğdem Arslan read out the press statement afterwards and noted that "the pledges expressed by the President on March 14 and the legislative proposal about the violence in healthcare and malpractice have not gone beyond being a disappointment".

Noting that "no concrete step has yet been taken about the pledges," Arslan reiterated that "these pledges, which physicians regard as a runaround and stalling, will definitely not solve their problems". (AÖ/SD)