Turkish Medical Association: Outbreak Not Under Control Yet

Photo: Pixabay

Click to read the article in Turkish

The Turkish Medical Association (TTB) has stated that it was "astonished" by the Ministry of Health's statements that the outbreak has been "alleviated," saying there was no proof that it has been taken under control.

The government has been gradually easing coronavirus measures for a month now, including the lift of weekend curfews in larger cities and intercity travel bans, reopening cafes, restaurants and parks and resuming flights.

In a press conference on the first three months of the outbreak, TTB Chair Sinan Adıyaman noted that nearly 5,000 people have lost their lives, hundreds are in intensive care, nearly 1,000 cases are found every day and 43 health workers have died.

"The outbreak is managed with secrets," he said, pointing out the ministry's silence about health workers.

Reading out a press statement, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cavit Işık Yavuz said the pandemic seemed to continue for a long time and its long-term effects on various parts of the society, especially on workers, were just beginning.

Here are highlights from the press statement:

• Turkey is the 17th most populated country in the world. As of the end of the pandemic, it ranks 12th in confirmed Covid-19 cases around the world and 17th in confirmed Covid-19 deaths.
• When compared with neighboring countries in terms of confirmed cases per one million people, it is similar to Iran. It is observed that the total confirmed cases are lower in Greece and Bulgaria than Turkey.
• Volatility is continuing the number of cases. Every day, we have nearly 1,000 patients who test positive. How many patients receive Covid-19 treatment despite having a negative PCR test? We don't know, because it is not announced.
• In this period, we lost 43 health workers, including 23 physicians.
• We have not completely suppressed the first wave.
• The management of the outbreak process in Turkey is progressing far from being participatory and data sharing and in a way that does not share any data and analysis that the science of epidemiology needs.
• There is no proof that the outbreak has been taken under control. The facts that the outbreak curve did not descend at the same speed after reaching the peak, that the aggregation of new cases after the early reopening on May 11, and that numerous lockdowns declared around the country show that it is too early to say that the outbreak is under control.
• Health services should be replanned in this "early opening" period, which is called, "normalization." (AS/VK)