President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended 14 March Doctors’ Day event held in Beştepe Nation’s Convention and Culture Centre in Ankara. The event was also attended by the Minister of Health Dr. Fahrettin Koca.
President Erdoğan congratulated physicians and all healthcare professionals for 14 March Doctors’ Day on behalf of himself and the nation.
Expressing his gratitude to physicians and all healthcare personnel who work day and night to support our healthcare system during the outbreak, Erdoğan also congratulated the distinguished physicians and researchers who have brought our country to the fore in the international arena, including the development of domestic vaccine-named TURKOVAC.
“You are the members of a divine profession.”
Erdoğan noted “you are not the members of any profession but a divine profession that a human being may have the most profound knowledge ever.” And added “while a mistake in any profession means financial damage, a mistake in the profession of medicine may cost the people’s lives directly. Therefore, the profession of medicine deserves the best owing to the rigorous conditions from the education to the all levels of performance including knowledge, skills, morality and human-centred vision.
Expressing to increase the number of hospitals more than 19 city hospitals, Erdoğan said “we would like all patients around the world to show up and heal in our hospitals.”
Underlining that Türkiye not only had sufficient potential and means to train the medical force but also advanced on the path of becoming a global healthcare centre with growing appeal, Erdoğan added:
“During the outbreak, we all have observed that the developed countries have such an insufficient, fragile and outdated infrastructure on healthcare services. However, Türkiye, with its hospitals, doctors, other medical personnel, tools and equipment, has proven that it has the capacity to provide our people with the best service.”
Erdoğan stressed that the infrastructure and human resource of healthcare services are one of the triumphant areas in Türkiye.
“Revocation will be carried out just in case of malice”
Being aware of the expectations of physicians regarding the issues that have not been solved so far though the great efforts, Erdoğan stated that they are working on to conduct a package to be fulfilled the needs to the utmost.
President Erdoğan explained the guidelines of the package as follows:
“Firstly, the crime of nonaccidental injury committed against the personnel working in the health institutions during or due to their duties is included in Code of Criminal Procedure.
Secondly, we are establishing Committee for Profession Liability regarding healthcare professionals. Holding an inquiry due to all medical procedures and practices regarding medical examination, diagnosis and treatment within the scope of performance of all healthcare professionals will be subjected to the permission of the committee. Moreover, the committee will decide whether the compensation paid by the administration to the healthcare personnel working in public institutions and organizations and state universities due to their practices within this scope can be revoked or not. Revocation will only be carried out in case of malice.”
Stating that they have carried out crucial improvements regarding salary payment system and financial rights of healthcare professionals, Erdoğan noted “first of all, the constant additional payments of the healthcare personnel will be included in the central government budget, and their salaries will be ensured to be paid with just single payroll. This application will also be put into practice for university hospitals.
“The improvements of the salaries have an effect on retirement, as well.”
Expressing that the improvements of salaries of healthcare professionals have an effect on retirement, as well, Erdoğan said “the payroll salaries of physicians will be arranged in a way to compensate for the salary losses after retirement. I would like to remind you that all graduate healthcare professionals, especially nurses, will be included in 3600 additional index.”
“Our Doctors’ Day has a special identity”
During the speech, Minister Koca noted that 19 city hospitals are operating just like health base, and added:
“The number of health institutions affiliated to our ministry is more than 27 thousand, 951 of which are hospitals. The total number of healthcare professionals providing services to our citizens has approximately 1.3 million. The numbers of medical professionals have remarkably increased in time. Therefore, today we have more than 183 thousand medical doctors. There are 110 thousand to-be physicians in 131 medical faculty. These improvements result from prioritizing the health.
Mentioning that the background of 14 March is much different than the other doctors’ day in the other countries, Koca stated that the individuals or a medical improvement is grounded abroad; however, our doctors’ day has a special identity in Türkiye.”
Minister of Health Koca highlighted the spirit of 14 March 1919 and congratulated 14 March Doctors’ Day from the bottom of his heart.
14 March Awards
At the end of the ceremony, President Erdoğan presented 14 March Doctors’ Day Awards.
Prof. Dr. Aykut Özdarendeli, who developed domestic Covid-19 vaccine-named TURKOVAC, was deemed worthy of 14 March Science Great Award, and İstanbul Fatih District Health Director Dr. Melek Nur Aslan of 14 March Outstanding Service Award.
Coordinator Chief Physician of Ankara City Hospital Dr. Aziz Ahmet Surel received 14 March Chief Physician of the Year, and Chief Physician of Ankara City Hospital Assoc. Prof. İhsan Ateş received 14 March Physician of the Year.
Moreover, on behalf of the healthcare professionals who have struggled against Covid-19, the healthcare professionals attending the ceremony from all over Türkiye were given presents.
Mert Efe Uzun, who wrote a letter named ‘Sevgili Merhamet’ for the healthcare professionals, was also given a present.
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