* Photo: Pexels
Click to read the article in Turkish
As part of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) measures, country-wide curfews have been imposed in several countries, with Azerbaijan, where the current death toll is four, as the latest country that has followed suit.
As a quarantine has not yet been put into effect in Turkey, İstanbul Medical Chamber Chair Pof. Dr. Pınar Saip has commented, "We, as physicians, want the social movement to be severely restricted."
Prof. Dr. Saip has also referred to the petition opened to signature by Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK), Confederation of Public Workers' Unions (KESK), Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) and Turkish Medical Association (TTB).
CLICK - Unions, Professional Organizations Request 'Urgent Measures'
"As you know, the DİSK, KESK, TMMOB and the TTB have a package that they have opened for signature and where they have recommended seven urgent precautions," Saip has said and continued as follows:
"In order to do this, there is a need for a serious isolation by ensuring the conditions where people can stay home - I mean, where no one will be dismissed, people will be granted the necessary economic support and all workplaces, except for food and health facilities, will be closed.
"The elderly are at home, but the ones caring for them are outside.
"It is of considerable use if a quarantine is imposed in, at least, big cities such as İstanbul, İzmir and Kocaeli, where industry is developed and the number of cases is high."
Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Vice Chair Prof. Dr. Ali Çerkezoğlu has also noted that "isolation, quarantine, or whatever we want to call it, will not happen only by warning or recommending citizens."
"It needs to be seriously coordinated, organized and inspected," Çerkezoğlu has said and added, "It is sometimes necessary for a province, such as İstanbul, or for a town. The isolation of that area is necessary by undertaking a very serious work within this context."
Çerkezoğlu has also stated the following to bianet:
"None of these is done in Turkey. Urging 83 million to stay home or not... They have left it at the point of recommendation. We think that neither of them is right. (...) They are also not applicable or result-oriented.
"The state, government and the Ministry of Health must arrange it anyway. Quarantine is not something that will happen only by saying it to happen. Contact cannot be prevented by saying 'Don't come into contact.'
"You are obliged to follow each an every development and patient step by step. Of course, it is perhaps impossible to do it in full extent, but you must at least make efforts for that. It does not happen, which we criticize."
(PT/SD)