ANKARA  - Noting that healthcare workers have to protect their health while fulfilling their social responsibilities, SES Co-Chair Gönül Erden said that they are establishing epidemic committees in hospitals.

 

Health workers' situation is one of the main issues discussed since the March 11, when the first case was announced in Turkey. Gönül Erden, Co-Chair of the Health and Social Workers' Union (SES), evaluated the ongoing problems in health institutions and the measures to be taken. Stating that the problems continue to increase with the contact of the patients who have been diagnosed with coronavirus and who have symptoms, Erden said that the questionnaire they carried out in the context of combating the coronavirus outbreak, which includes data from 304 hospitals in 60 cities, also revealed the problems experienced.

 

'WORKPLACE EPIDEMIC COMMITTEES'

 

Erden said that health workers will continue to provide services and emphasized that this is also a social responsibility. Erden said: “We also have to protect our health. We will establish epidemic committees at workplaces. These committees will speak and intervene at every point, from precautions to be taken for the health of the healthcare worker, what to do, how to prepare a hospital for the outbreak and etc. If no measures are taken to protect your health, do not intervene to the patient, if the personal protective equipment is not sufficient and suitable, you have the right to refrain from work, use this. Because you can not do this job by endangering your health. You endanger both your own health and the health of the citizens. We can neither protect the health of the community nor fight the virus without protecting our own health. "

 

Erden emphasized the importance of combating the epidemic and said, “These are critical in combating the epidemic; be quick, detect, isolate. We can not overcome this process with a monistist approach. We can easily overcome this process by working transparently with health, labor, professional organizations, ministries and scientists. We all live in this country. We are trying to prevent this epidemic with this intention. ”

 

MA / Zemo Ağgöz