23 workers in the construction sector, 18 workers in the seasonal agriculture sector, and totally 18 workers died in the mine and energy sector.
"Working conditions kill health workers"
In Hatay, Selahattin Can, aged 52, passed away as a consequence of a virus he caught from one of his patients. And Dr. Mustafa Bilgiç, aged 26, working in the Samsun 19 Mayıs University Hospital as an emergency medicine resident, gave the injection to himself by mistake while medically intervening into a patient with a Crimean-Congo Hemorrgahic Fever and consequently passed away.
The Assembly stated that practices carried out under the "Health Transformation Program" not only charge people a fee for health services, but also worsen the working practices of health workers.
"That's why we regard Mustafa Bilgiç's death as not 'an accident but as a work murder'. We ask: A resident working in the Emergency Service, where limited number of people work for long hours to help people stay alive, gave the injection to his own hand, and this is just an 'accident'? Our friend, who was working ceaselessly for 33 hours, giving an health service for 110 hours per week in a sleepless and toilworn state, gave the injection to his own hand, and this is just an 'accident'? In an atmosphere where violence against health workers has become so banal and driven workers into a state of tension, our friend gave the injection to his own hand, and this is just an 'accident'?"
According to the Assembly's data, at least 642 workers died across all working fields in the first nine months of 2012. (NV)