Billions flowed to corporations, putting public health at risk

Patients and healthcare workers are suffering the consequences of the government's health policies, which allocate billions of lira to city hospitals while failing to invest in public healthcare institutions. While many hospitals are awaiting funding for earthquake retrofitting and repairs, the allocation of resources to corporations has intensified the outcry.

The earthquake's damage to public health institutions, the seemingly inexplicable collapse of hospital ceilings, and the malfunctioning air conditioning in numerous hospitals have all highlighted the current state of affairs. Authorities are reportedly citing "lack of funding" as the excuse for the ongoing repairs and renovations, while healthcare workers say, "There's no funding for the public, but there are billions for corporations."

INFECTION THREAT

During days when temperatures reached record levels, air conditioning in some public hospitals was reportedly failing, causing difficulties for patients and healthcare workers as surgeries were performed with difficulty. Last month, images of patients at Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital in Bakırköy becoming ill due to the lack of air conditioning in some rooms and environments made headlines. Similar situations also occurred at Aydın Söke State Hospital and Manisa City Hospital, sparking outrage. Most recently, it has been alleged that the Denizli Çivril Şehit Hilmi State Hospital has been experiencing a scorching summer heat. Dr. Derya Uğur, President of the General Health Workers' Union (GSM), stated, "At Çivril Şehit Hilmi Öz State Hospital, where we are experiencing scorching summer heat, the air conditioning has been off for nearly three months. Air conditioning is not available anywhere except for operating room 1, and the ambient temperature in this operating room is set at 24 degrees Celsius."

Uğur, stating that they had received information that their request to report an air conditioning and ventilation malfunction to the Ministry of Health was denied due to a lack of funding, said, "We don't even want to think that a funding request for an institution providing healthcare services was rejected as part of austerity measures." Uğur continued: "Temperature and humidity should be individually adjustable in each operating room. The operating room temperature should be 20-23°C. It should be adjustable between 18-26°C, depending on the type of surgery and need. Simply cooling operating rooms is not enough; patients in intensive care units also face the threat of infection due to high temperatures. Therefore, the need for air conditioning in our hospitals, especially in critical units, must be addressed immediately. At a time when human life is at stake, resorting to the excuse of 'no funding' is a shortcut. Hospital management must abandon this simplistic approach and immediately explain the seriousness of the situation to the relevant authorities."

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HOSPITALS ARE DESTROYED

• The ceiling of Denizli State Hospital, where health services continued despite all warnings and where 90 percent of the hospital's beams and columns were found to be rotten in the earthquake analysis report prepared in 2017, collapsed recently.

• The ceiling of the neonatal intensive care unit of the Prof. Dr. Murat Dilmener Emergency Hospital, built five years ago on the Atatürk Airport campus in Bakırköy and inaugurated by Erdoğan, collapsed due to a burst hot water pipe. One of the premature babies transferred to another unit died.

• The ceiling of Hatay Iskenderun Emergency Hospital collapsed due to water leakage.

• Many hospitals and family health centers were destroyed in the February 6 earthquakes.

• Many of the family health centers and hospitals in Istanbul are not earthquake resistant.

• Siirt Training and Research Hospital came to the fore with the air conditioning system failure that occurred during the summer months.

• Diyarbakır Gazi Yaşargil Training and Research Hospital experienced air conditioning failures in the intermediate intensive care units, burn unit, and second floor general surgery intermediate intensive care unit in recent months.