'Ministry of Health should disclose what is happening in Akkuyu'

Two workers, Muhittin Oral and Mustafa Avşar, employed at the construction of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), undertaken by the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) through the "Build-Operate-Own" model, were admitted to the hospital on January 11 with suspected meningitis.

One of the treated workers passed away on January 13, and the other on January 14. While Mustafa Avşar's cause of death was determined to be meningitis, no bacterial agent was found in Muhittin Oral's blood values.

Providing information to bianet on the matter, Dr. Nasır Nesanır, the President of the Mersin Medical Chamber, called on the Ministry of Health to take action regarding the events at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant.

Nesanır, emphasizing the need for transparency to the press and professional organizations, stated that a retrospective health screening should be conducted at the plant in response to the potential outbreak risk.

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"They should allow us to see and assess the situation"

Nesanır continued his statement as follows:

"We know that one of the deceased workers had meningococcal meningitis; the results of the tests have confirmed this. Even if the test of the other worker came back negative, we need to consider his death as a suspicious case because there is a process of antibiotic treatment before being admitted to the hospital. There is another suspected case, and his treatment is ongoing at the hospital; his overall condition is good, and the test result is negative.

"For meningitis to be transmitted through the respiratory tract, more frequent contact is required, such as sleeping in the same place or traveling together for a long time on the same public transport. However, poor living conditions and inadequate, unbalanced nutrition significantly worsen the course of meningococcal meningitis. What is critical for us here is whether these workers contracted meningitis upon returning from a leave, or if they had not taken any leave and the disease originated from within the plant.

"They should allow us, as press organizations and professional associations to see and assess the current situation of the plant. In the face of a potential outbreak risk, we need to conduct a retrospective screening of the workers for the past 10 days. We need to know who they have been in contact with, whether they shared the same dormitory with the deceased workers, and such details. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security should share this information with the public."

"What is happening in Akkuyu?"

Osman Koçak, the Spokesperson for the Mersin Anti-Nuclear Platform (NKP), stated that they encounter a worker health and safety issue at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NGS) every month. Koçak, pointing out the high number of workers at the plant, mentioned that similar diseases pose a risk to the health of the entire city.

He continued his speech as follows:

"The entity that needs to take precautions and steps regarding the issue since 2018 is IC İçtaş, the main contractor of Akkuyu NGS. However, we already know IC İçtaş from projects that harm the environment and human health. We know IC İçtaş from Akbelen, the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, and the Northern Motorway [Motorway 7] project, as well as the hydroelectric power plant projects scattered throughout Turkey.

"Remember the reason behind Rosatom wanting to terminate the Akkuyu project contract: IC İçtaş A.Ş. was behaving contrary to the contract and not ensuring health and safety at work.

"Although Akkuyu is often in the spotlight for insufficient worker health and safety measures, a significant environmental disaster is also unfolding here. Recently, Rosatom announced the completion of the 1st power unit of the plant and stated that they put the first circular bridge crane into operation. The crane is considered one of the most crucial mechanisms in the reactor compartment.

"The government announced the arrival of the first nuclear fuel rod to Akkuyu before the May 2024 elections, as an election investment. However, they did not provide any footage of this. We only saw a few dark photos on the Anadolu Agency. Wouldn't they showcase that imagery if such a transfer had occurred?

"For these reasons, we do not believe that a nuclear fuel rod has been brought here. This was a development they needed to announce to obtain nuclear site status. Without trusting such campaigns, everyone should ask and question what is happening in Akkuyu. Because Akkuyu is a closed book, but there is a problem every day. The relevant ministries are obligated to inform the public." (TY/PE)