The bitter day of the health professionals: With the pain of the lost in their hearts, their demands are in their shouts

This year, health workers met the day of the health professionals, which is celebrated on the 14th of March every year, with the new problems created by the pandemic and the pain of their lost colleagues. Health workers, who were forced to work breathlessly by banning resignation, retirement and leave rights during the pandemic, lost 387 colleagues to Covid-19 as no protective measures were taken. Against the commercialization of health, and in support of a medical service environment free of violence and where they can get their labours worth, health care workers reiterated their demand of "We want to live and keep alive".

SES REMINDED ITS DEMANDS

The Health and Social Service Workers Union (SES) celebrated the 14 March Day of the health professionals by publishing a statement titled "Our lost are in our hearts, our demands on our tongues".

In the SES statement, the following demands of health workers are listed:

• “Covid-19 shall be considered an occupational disease.

• End violence, mobbing and oppression.

• Basic wage above the poverty line, which is also reflected in the retirement pensions.

• Fees paid by the public for healthcare services should be abolished.

• Dismissed health workers should be reinstated.

• Health workers should participate in decision-making processes from planning to the provision of health services. ”

"SYMBOL OF THE 14 MARCH RESISTANCE"

With the statement and social media posts made on March 14, that the working conditions of health workers were pointed out, and it was underlined that March 14 is a day of struggle.

Public Health Specialist Prof. Dr. Kayıhan Pala stated that March 14 is the beginning date of the transition to modern medical education in our country in 1827, as well as the anniversary of the resistance of medical students against the occupation of Istanbul in 1919, "Every year, March 14 is actually the symbol of resistance; against imperialism, exploitation and their collaborators", he said.

"MY CONTRACTED, SUBCONTRACTOR DOCTOR"

In his post for March 14 Day of the health care professionals, Head of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Family Physicians Section, Emrah Kırımlı, made the following statements:

“I am a non-public contracted family doctor. Thus, I am a subcontractor. I can be fired with a single signature of the administration. If I am kicked out, there is no compensation. If I retire, there is no severance pay. Since I am a family physician, I cannot openly apply to become a civil servant. What a festival this is… "

"GIVE US OUR LOST PROGRESS PAYMENTS"

Speaking to DHA, President of the Family Medicine Workers Union (AHESEN), Dr. Gürsel Özer emphasised that the burden on family health centres (ASM) increased during the pandemic.

Pointing out that 60 percent of the ongoing Covid vaccinations are also performed in ASMs, Özer said, "Moreover, although we only work during working hours and are closed on weekends, people preferred ASMs rather than hospitals. This shows that our citizens trust us for vaccinations. We have done a lot during the pandemic, and we will continue to do so. In the pandemic struggle, we neither demanded nor demand any additional payment. Our only wish is to finally have our forfeited progress payment losses over the years paid out. We will continue to serve with our uniforms and to do what is required of our job in the best way possible."

BLACK APRON RALLY

Wearing black coats and black masks, employees of Ankara Private 100th Year Hospital paid a minute of silence on behalf of the healthcare professionals who lost their lives due to the epidemic and exposure to violence.

Later, black balloons with the names of 50 physicians including Prof. Dr. Cemil Taşçıoğlu, Prof. Dr. Sedat Tellaloğlu, Dr. Necmi Aslan and Dr. Sinan Kakı were released into the sky.

According to AA [Anatolia Agency], Hospital Chief Physician Assoc. Dr. Erden Kılıç stated in his speech that healthcare workers were fighting with courage at the forefront during the epidemic period.

Noting that more than 400 healthcare workers lost their lives in this process, Kılıç said:

"We are deeply saddened by the absence of our colleagues we have now lost forever. We will never forget their sacrifices. We wanted to commemorate them at the medical holiday this year. We commemorate them with grace, and we want the pandemic to end as soon as possible. It is not easy to raise a physician. No healthcare professional should be exposed to violence. Condemn the frequent acts of violence against healthcare professionals. May March 14 be a turning point." (EVRENSEL DAILY)