‘57 pharmacists, 20 pharmacy workers died during the pandemic’

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The first session of the İstanbul Chamber of Pharmacists' Ordinary General Assembly Meeting and Election was held at the Şişli Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center in İstanbul on Saturday (September 18).

Cenap Sarıalioğlu, the Chair of the Chamber at the time, did not nominate himself to be elected again while Pınar Özcan and İmam Hüseyin Çelik became candidates to chair the İstanbul Chamber of Pharmacists.

Council Chair Sibel Tarım raised concerns about the recently escalating feminicides in Turkey and invited all women at the hall to the stage.

Speaking at the General Assembly meeting, İstanbul Chamber of Pharmacists' Chair Cenap Sarıalioğlu stated that 57 pharmacists and 20 pharmacy workers lost their lives during the pandemic:

"As a professional group fighting against the pandemic at the very forefront during the pandemic, we unfortunately got our share, too.

"We lost our 57 colleagues and 20 workers. We have been going through an extraordinary process together for the past two years.

"We went through a process that no one who lives today had ever experienced before or no executive could ever imagine.

"As required by the oath that we took, we tried to offer services of medication 24/7. We tried to provide our patients with masks and disinfectants while trying to offer services of medication and consultation."

Noting that 226 million people caught the coronavirus across the world and 4 million 650 people died of the disease, Sarıalioğlu said:

The country has had 6 million 700 thousand patients and 80 thousand losses of life. We, as a professional group fighting against the pandemic at the very forefront, unfortunately had our share. I once again commemorate them with respect, longing and gratitude.

The second session of the General Assembly meeting was held a day later, on September 19, and Pınar Özcan was elected as the new Chair of the İstanbul Chamber of Pharmacists. (RT/SD)