‘If you make health personnel work, there is a causal link’

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - Archive

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Turkish Medical Association (TTB) held an online panel discussion titled "Law on COVID-19 Occupational Diseases for Healthcare Workers."

The panel of the association was attended by TTB Central Council Chair Prof. Şebnem Korur Fincancı, TTB Central Council member Prof. İbrahim Akkurt, labor lawyer Murat Özveri, chief labor inspector Şeref Özcan, main opposition CHP MPs Dr. Murat Emir and lawyer Ünal Demirtaş, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP Dr. Necdet İpekyüz, İYİ Party MP Dr. Arslan Kabukçuoğlu and journalist Fatih Portakal.

Taking the floor first, TTB Chair Korur Fincancı has stressed that healh workers are the ones most affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) all across the world, which has led to debates on the recognition of COVID-19 as an occupational disease as part of their labor and personal rights.

'120 thousand health workers infected so far'

Prof. Akkurt has also made a presentation entitled "COVID-19 and Occupational Diseases." Akkurt has noted that healthcare workers have been affected 14 times higher by the pandemic than the general population, underlining that several international organizations and over 130 countries have recognized it as an occupational disease in the light of this data.

He has further said that nearly 120 thousand health personnel have been infected by the virus and nearly 300 of them have lost their lives.

'Responsibility put on workers' shoulders'

After Akkurt, Şeref Özcan has shared some information as to the inspections of COVID-19 measures in workplaces.

Chief inspector Özcan has raised concerns about a current mindset where the expression of "mask-distance-hygiene" has stripped the state/employers of their responsibility and put it on the shoulders of workers.

Noting that some physical needs at hospitals regarding ventilation and shared spaces and equipment have not been met, Özcan has said, "The mass deaths of health workers is a result of all these deficiencies."

'Social security institution avoids defining it'

Afterwards, lawyer Özveri has talked about the legal status of occupational diseases. Referring to the current procedure in Turkey, where a causal relation or link is sought to officially recognize COVID-19 as an occupational disease for a particular health worker, Özveri has said:

"If you make people work in an environment where you tell everyone to 'stay home' and if these workers are subjected to this disease, then, it is a presumption of the fact that there has been a causal link.

"The presumption of the fact changes the burden of proof. Therefore, the obligation to prove that healthcare workers do not contract COVID-19 in their working environments lies with the employer.

"Social Security Institution (SGK) avoids the definition of occupational disease/ accident for reasons such as the costs to be caused for employers."

'Government is not sincere'

While CHP's Murat Emir has accused the government of "not being sincere about a legal arrangement" to recognize the virus as an occupational disease for health workers, İYİ Party's Kabukçuoğlu has indicated that the government does not attach the necessary importance to problems.

According to İYİ Party MP Kabukçuoğlu, most of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) MPs agree with the opposition, but "an instruction comes from above and it is predetermined to what they will say 'Yes' or 'No'."

HDP MP Necdet İpekyüz has stated that the law on occupational disease might be passed only with the pressure of the social opposition, as was the case with the Law on Violence in Healthcare. (RT/SD)