Turkey’s Science-Enlightenment Academy calls for free public medical materials against coronavirus

Turkey's Academy of Science and Enlightenment (BAA) has released a statement following the first confirmed coronavirus case in Turkey, calling for the transparent flow of information regarding the coronavirus cases and socialized medical services against the outbreak.
Friday, 13 March 2020 10:32

An academic organization of Turkey’s Marxist intellectuals founded with the initiative of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) in 2017, BAA released a statement on March 12 after Turkey’s Health Minister announced the first confirmed coronavirus case in the country as the World Health Organization described the outbreak as a pandemic. 

The full statement is as follows:

The first coronavirus case was identified in our country, the number of cases is expected to increase in the upcoming days.

As of March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) described the outbreak as a pandemic.

The control works of the outbreak in our country should be carried out in full transparency in accordance with this description.

In this respect, the Academy of Science and Enlightenment thinks that warning the public regarding some problems is a scientific responsibility.

1. There are doubts about the transparency of the Health Ministry: Turkey’s Health Minister held a press meeting and announced the first coronavirus case in our country; although the minister announced that the patient contracted the virus abroad and he and his family members have been isolated, he did not explain how this individual was infected, whether he went abroad or not, if so what means of transportation he used, what kind of medical interventions were conducted on the other passengers in this transportation vehicle, as the minister based this confidentiality upon the privacy of the patient. In such cases, however, the privacy of patient only includes the confidentiality of personal information such as the name and the address of the patient. On the other hand, sharing the information in question with the public enables the scientific circles to unbiasedly assess what has been carried out, to identify the possible inadequacies, to make recommendations and take public support in the fight against the outbreak. All kinds of contrary attitudes discredit the related public institutions and lead to unnecessary panic behaviors.     

2. No practice of triage is conducted in medical institutions, which turns the hospitals into risky environments for the outbreak: The practice of triage in medical institutions is crucial in terms of the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. Triage means the separation of individuals with suspected coronavirus infection from the other patients in family health centers and hospitals, examining and treating them by different health personnel in completely different units. In other words, those with fever, cough, and shortness of breath should be separated at the entrance of medical institutions and directed to specific units for coronavirus. In the current situation, however, the patients with these problems are waiting for a long time with the other patients in the same environment while such patients apply to emergency services in some hospitals. The continuation of this situation will lead to unpreventable increases in medical institution-related coronavirus cases.

3. The production of the materials required for protection from the coronavirus infection and for the diagnosis and treatment of the infection should be socialized at least until the termination of the outbreak: It is impossible to provide a supply and demand equilibrium within the market system in such emergency conditions. Furthermore, in such cases, the capitalist environment of medicine generates various kinds of opportunists. One of the usual examples of this situation with regards to the current outbreak is the abnormal increases in the prices of medical masks in a short time and the unavailability of such materials. As the outbreak continues and the number of patients who need intense care services increases, we will inevitably face the same problems in providing the medical materials used for diagnosis and treatment. The same problems have been experienced in Italy. It is an imperative measure to socialize the firms that produce required medical materials in order to prevent similar problems that will further increase the outbreak.

4. Healthy people should also be recommended to use medical masks in crowded environments for protection from the infection: The Health Ministry recommends the use of medical masks only for the patients and the health personnel. As WHO accepts the protectiveness of the mask for healthy people, it does not recommend the use of masks for healthy people because of some health risks stemming from improper use. Recent publications in China have revealed that viral droplets in air-conditioned buses can spread up to 5 meters, and the people wearing masks in such environments are not infected. Considering this knowledge, instead of rejecting the need for the use of masks for healthy people, it will be rational to teach how to use the masks properly and increase the use of masks in terms of the outbreak control.

BAA will continue to follow and assess the developments with regards to the coronavirus outbreak and to transparently share its findings with the public.