İstanbul Medical Chamber (İTO) has recently issued its weekly report for 27 April-3 May on coronavirus pandemic. Stating that streets are more lively after a four-day curfew, the report underlines the on-going danger of infection in İstanbul despite the relative decrease in the number of hospitalized patients.
The report is as follows:
“Turkey’s Health Minister Dr. Fahrettin Koca declared the number of infected healthcare professionals reached 7,428 last week. However, our data from the field show that the number of infected healthcare professionals is over 4,500 in İstanbul alone.
According to the data coming from the field, despite the decrease in the number of hospitalized patients, the problems of the non-COVID-19 patients in need of healthcare are growing.
Concerning the face masks declared to be distributed by pharmacies, İstanbul Chamber of Pharmacists has made a statement that public employees will be provided with masks by their institutions, and insured workers by their workplaces. These citizens are told not to demand face masks from pharmacies. However, when and how the face masks will be distributed to public institutions and workplaces is not clear.
Along with family doctors, clinic doctors also suffer from rationed face mask sales. They can neither buy nor are provided by Turkey’s Health Department since they are private practitioners.
According to the statistics declared by Turkey’s Ministry of Health as of May 3, though positive PCR test results are taken as the sole basis, Turkey ranks 8th in the number of cases and 12th in the death toll among 193 countries.
The decision of easing the measures against the pandemic should consider the data above, or a wrong decision in the early period will cause great damages.”
Turkey’s İzmir Medical Chamber has also made a statement on the issue. According to the statement, the number of healthcare professionals diagnosed with COVID-19 has reached 466 in the city. Among them are 147 doctors, 2 dentists, 146 nurses, midwives and health officers, 85 staff, 16 medical secretaries, 24 technicians, 30 officers, 6 pharmacists, 2 psychologists, 5 security staff, 1 driver, and 2 engineers.
