The Minister of Health Dr. Fahrettin Koca attended “The Symposium for the Protection of Health Professionals by Law”, which was held in Ankara, with the participation of The Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ and the members of the judiciary.
During the speech, reminding that there are the representatives of justice at the hall, Minister Koca stated “I could have been here as a physician who was bullied by a patient to be treated or a relative of a patient. I also could have been here as a physician who was sued unjustly by the family of a premature infant who lost his vision and was in neonatal intensive care unit.
Minister Koca emphasized that he has been working for a long time with Minister Bozdağ so as to solve two crucial problems and said “the violence in health and abuse of malpractice suits are the most important problems in our community.”
“The rules are not strict enough to punish the violators”
Reminding the statement of Bekir Bozdağ “We should protect the physicians like we do to the judges”, Minister Fahrettin Koca noted “I would like to thank The Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ for the great effort to solve these two problems. He put himself in our shoes, took initiative and grafted away.
Minister of Health Koca also added:
“We have been working with the Minister Bozdağ on the prevention of violence in health and not to abuse of malpractice suits for a long time. In terms of legislation, we have tried to figure out our needs. However, you ought to be our genuine strength. If you do not believe in the challenges we have been going through, it is impossible to accomplish a result.
The law frames the restrictions, the legislations are also determined in compliance with it. The rules define the limit and it points out that the rules are not strict enough to punish violators. Unless we reduce the events engaged in a lawsuit, we will not be relieved.
“Our conditions and rights should be protected.”
At the budget discussions held on 11 December 2021, Koca said “We are the members of a community who take an oath to treat even those committing suicide. This is not an ordinary statement. We took an oath to keep alive even the enemies during a war, so that our conditions and rights should be protected to realize our oaths.”
“We should prevent thousands of physicians, who duly perform their duties, from working with deep concern.”
Underlying the punishment of the whole community working uncompromisingly from profession ethics, apart from some isolated incidents, Minister Koca expressed “There may be a small number of people who do not perform properly in each occupational group. There is no harm in the measures to be taken for them. However, we should prevent thousands of physicians, who duly perform their duties, from working with deep concern.”
Call for The Members of the Judiciary
Minister of Health Koca stated that it has been already known what is supposed to do against violence in health, and emphasized that it is much better comprehended the violence targeted the public. He added “I would like to remind you the paronymous words of physician and judge regarding the abuse of malpractice suits. We all need health and healthcare services. Today, the healthcare professionals need you. Please protect our rights.”
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