Ten Questions from Doctors to Health Ministry's Science Committee

A meeting of the committee headed by Minister Koca (Photo: AA)

Click to read the article in Turkish

Releasing an open letter, the İstanbul Medical Chamber (İTO) has asked questions to the Health Ministry's Science Committee for Covid-19 about the government's policies on the new coronavirus pandemic.

The committee was established in January as an advisory body to the ministry. The committee and Minister Fahrettin Koca regularly hold meetings, which are usually followed by a press conference by the minister.

The decisions and recommendations b the committee have not been disclosed to the public. Though committee members have often appeared on the TV and shared their views on social media.

Here are the questions asked by the doctors:

*The Health Ministry does not share demographic information about the cases such as regional distribution, age and gender, and does not disclose vital information in terms of tracing patients such as how many of the tests were carried out on people who show symptoms, people who contacted patients and how many were repeated tests. How is this attitude of the Health Ministry assessed by your Science Committee?

*How do you scientifically assess that the codes recommended by the World Health Organization for Covid-19 are not used in our country and the fact that those who tested negative in PCR tests but receive Covid-19 treatment are not acknowledged as Covid-19 cases?

*Do you think that not halting production except for emergency, basic and vital sectors despite insistent calls by labor and professional organizations had an impact on the spread of the outbreak?

*Do you think that home isolation and telephone monitoring of Covid-19 cases who are definitely or possibly diagnosed is enough rather than monitoring them at isolation centers/hospitals?

*Living and exercising their profession in İstanbul, we could only learn on April 1, 22 days after the detection of the firsts case in Turkey, that 60 percent of the cases were in İstanbul. Was the process of İstanbul turning into "Wuhan of Turkey" as Mr. Minister stated within the knowledge of your committee, did you recommend specific measures for İstanbul during this period?

*Despite the fact that the first Covid-19 cases were reported in China on December 31, that the first case was detected in Turkey on March 10, and that applications to hospitals increased in mid-March, unfortunately, we experienced that our hospitals were remarkably unprepared for this period. Do you think that the necessary measures were taken within this two-and-a-half-month period, did you have suggestions and warnings with regards to this matter?

*We witnessed that the necessary preparations were not made in this period in the primary health care services, which are of great importance in outbreak management, that measures were taken hastily only after cases started to grow like an avalanche, and that even the tracing teams were established after this phase. Was this also within your knowledge, were the necessary warnings and suggestions made by you?

*While it is known that the incubation period of SARS CoV-2 can be extended up to 14 days and many countries applied curfews, it is applied in our country at intervals. Was this a recommendation by your committee, do you think it will be effective on a necessary and sufficient level?

*Do you agree with the statements by Fahrettin Koca that the pandemic is under control and by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that "we will have a double feast one month later"?

*Is your Science Committee authorized and responsible for the entire process of the fights against the Covid-19 pandemic, or your description of duty is limited to offer consulting to the Health Minister and other political administrators? (AS/VK)