March 09, 2006

Health care workers took to the streets against the ruling JDP’s policies called “transformation in health care.”

1000 demonstrators from the Chamber of Izmir Physicians’, SES, the union of health care workers and the Turkish Nurses Organization marched ignoring the heavy rain. The leading banner read, “No to the trade shop setup called family medicine” as the crowd marched to the Izmir City Health Care Offices. Here, they chanted, “Trade in Health Care Means Death”, “Don’t let families disintegrate, don’t let the children die” and “JDP is dangerous to your health!”

Dr. Zeki Gül, the President of the Izmir Chamber of Physicians, said in his speech that they were struggling against the takeaway of the right to health care. Dr. Gül said the Transformation in Health Care program was unhealthy and continued, “We are here because we are against closure of free clinics, health care being made into a tradable commodity, the devaluation of physician’s labor and insults against the doctors.”

President of SES Izmir branch Ergun Demir reminded the appearance of Cholera in Ankara recently and said, “Typhoid, cholera and tuberculosis have reappeared in our country. The reason for this are the policies of the ruling JDP (Justice and Development Party). He said the lines in the hospitals have not shortened and all patients also suffered from debt due to health care costs. Demir added, “We, as health care providers, have said ‘NO’ to these policies. It is now the peoples’ turn to speak. The ballot boxes should be out there on the street these days.”

The representative of Izmir Nurses Organization, Çiğdem Kurcan said they would not allow the government to play with peoples’ health care. She also added that they refused the “family medicine” policy.

Source: Evrensel