‘How many health laborers have died of COVID-19 in Turkey so far?’

* Photo: HDP

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İstanbul MP Züleyha Gülüm has submitted a Parliamentary question about the hardships faced by health workers in Turkey amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

In her Parliamentary question addressed to Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, Züleyha Gülüm has indicated that "since there is a lack of protective measures, the incidence of COVID-19 is extremely high among health laborers, one of the groups facing the highest risk during the outbreak."

"Several health laborers lost their lives in this process," Gülüm has noted, adding that "in spite of this, COVID-19 is still not recognized as an occupational disease in Turkey and health laborers work in unsafe environments, unable to receive an allowance in exchange for their labor."

"Moreover, even though the incidents of violence targeting health laborers amid tensions arising from the outbreak have significantly increase, there has still been no adequate legislation that would prevent violence in healthcare," Gülüm has protested further.

Gülüm has also raised concerns about the "Bill on Responsibility Arising from the Misapplication of Medical Services."

"Instead of improving the working conditions of health laborers, a bill assigning the responsibility for patients entirely to health laborers and threatening them with heavy fines and prison sentences has been submitted to the Parliament," Gülüm has indicated.

She has also called on the Ministry of Health to increase the number of health workers, raising concerns about the mass resignations of health workers and their requests for retirement in pandemic period.

'Why do health laborers collectively resign?'

Within this context, HDP MP Gülüm has asked Health Minister Koca a series of questions, including the following:

• "Are you planning to develop policies that will improve the living and working conditions of health laborers and to recognize COVID-19 as an occupational disease? How many health laborers have lost their lives due to COVID-19 in Turkey so far?
• "Instead of cutting the wages of health laborers and getting additional payments without no effect on their retirement, are you thinking of giving them base salaries suitable for their labor and improving their employee personal rights?
• "Why do health laborers collectively resign or request their retirement all across the country?
• "Are you planning to adopt legislation that would prevent violence against health personnel more effectively?"

(RT/SD)