We are facing a serious equipment problem. The workers will have to clean their masks but on the other hand the masks are on the floor in the hospital. The crisis is not being managed. We are unprotected here. We are all dying here inside. I am working in the service where those patients who are diagnosed as having the coronavirus. I saw nurses working in this department whose gloves were torn or who have to work with torn gloves. Is it possible not to get infected in an environment like that? The workers are being thrown on harm’s way knowingly. They have given up on us.
The healthcare workers are living the worst of the worst in the struggle against the coronavirus in Turkey. We talked to a healthcare worker in a public hospital in Istanbul and he expressed the issues the workers are facing to Artı Gerçek.
The Chamber of Doctors of Turkey (TTB) has warned the healthcare workers from the beginning about the problems at work regarding lacking protective equipment.
The hospitals are experiencing growing problems due to the increase of coronavirus cases. The workers face getting infected due to not having essential items like medical masks. Not having anyone else address the issues, the workers sound off their concerns on social media.
“THE HOSPITAL YARD HAS LINES SIMILAR TO THE BREAD LINES”
A health care worker who works at a public hospital and who does not want to be identified talked to Artı Gerçek and told us what the healthcare professionals experience inside the hospitals in Istanbul.
The healthcare worker said, “You should see the long lines in our hospital. Then you can decide if that is safe for health or not. Several doors to the polyclinics have lines coming out to the yard. Everybody and all diseases are there, out in the open. Just like the bread lines, all patients stand next to each other.
“THEY CAN’T MANAGE THE CRISIS, WE ARE ALL DYING INSIDE.”
“The entire staff has been assigned to these cases. However, we are facing a serious equipment problem. The workers will have to clean their masks but on the other hand the masks are on the floor in the hospital. The crisis is not being managed. We are unprotected here. We are all dying here inside. I am working in the service where those patients who are diagnosed as having the coronavirus. I saw nurses working in this department whose gloves were torn or who have to work with torn gloves. Is it possible not to get infected in an environment like that? The workers are being thrown on harm’s way knowingly. They have given up on us.”
“THEY DISCRIMINATE AMONG THE WORKERS BASED ON THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS”
Adding that the hospital has not given any training, information or education on the coronavirus, the healthcare worker continued, “We don’t want praises. We want real protection. We are under a great risk at the moment. We are not running away from our responsibilities or jobs. However, how long can we work under these risks? We want to know the risks involved for a nurse or how and under which criteria a nurse serving in the coronavirus department is being called for duty. Some hospitals say we could take our vacation time. Why are we being punished? The hospital administration is working in protected environments but the healthcare workers are workers in unprotected environment. Unfortunately, many workers are young and inexperienced and they can’t defend themselves”
Sendika.org News (M.B.)