Turkish Medical Association: Hospitals full of Covid patients, new services not enough

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The new Covid-19 services set up at hospitals in the face of the third peak of the pandemic are not sufficient to meet the needs, according to the Turkish Medical Association (TTB).

For the past five days, the number of daily cases in the country has been over 50,000, making it one of the top five countries with the highest number of new cases. The total number of deaths exceeded 1,200 in this period.

TTB Chair Şebnem Korur-Fincancı said at a press conference today that the third peak came after an "uncontrolled normalization" started on March 1.

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"Because of inadequate and inconsistent policies and unsuccessful outbreak management, the Covid-19 pandemic, which cannot be taken under control in our country, is at the third and the largest peak.

"The number of daily cases has exceeded 50,000, losses of lives exceeded 250 according to the official figures, which reflect only a third of the reality.

"Our hospitals are full of Covid-19 patients, even the recently opened services are not enough to meet the needs. No places can be found in intensive care units.

"We are burning out because of witnessing new deaths every day in despair.

"Not only Covid-19 patients but also non-Covid-19 patients are aggrieved because of this picture, they cannot access the required health care service for problems that cannot be delayed."

The TTB doctors will stage protests in front of the Ministry of Health and provincial health directorates on Thursday (April 15), Korur-Fincancı also said. (AS/VK)