Opposition MP: Dismissed bureaucrats assigned to Covid-19 contact tracing teams as punishment

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A new Covid-19 contact tracing team has been established in the capital Ankara after it became a new outbreak center in the country.

According to the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Ankara deputy Murat Emir, the Ministry of Health has assigned some dismissed bureaucrats to the tracing teams "as a punishment."

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According to Emir, the General Directorate of Management Services of the Ministry of Health requested a certain number of names for contact tracing teams from all general directorates. As a result, a list of 1,392 people including, former bureaucrats and inspectors, was prepared.

After objections, about 60 inspectors, 12 attorneys and legal counsels and 200 pharmacists were removed from the list, he said. However, he added, there were still people with chronic diseases and dismissed former bureaucrats in the list.

"The assignment of these people in the contact tracing shows that this job is considered a punishment," Emir said.

Former Public Hygiene Council Chair Kadir Başar, former Medicine and Medical Equipment Institution Deputy Chair Ali Sait Septioğlu, former Improvement of Health Director-General Mine Tunçel, former Primary Healthcare Services Deputy General Director İdrid Yaşar are among the former bureaucrats who were assigned to contact tracing teams, the MP noted.

It was "incomprehensible" to assign such bureaucrats to contact tracing duties in the field, Emir said. (TP/VK)