KOCAELİ- SES Kocaeli Branch President Murat Harata, who said that health workers have a lack of protective mask and gloves in the fight against coronavirus, noted that the ministry should solve this problem as soon as possible.

 

The number of confirmed cases and deaths due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak increase every day in Turkey following the global increase trend. Since the March 11, the date of the first confirmed case, the hospitals have been facing major demand as healthcare workers in the fight against the epidemic are overwhelmed by working long hours. However, the most challenging part for the healthcare workers in the struggle against pandemic is the lack of personal protective equipments (PPE) such as masks and gloves. According to the statements made by the health organizations, there are many problems regarding PPE's in many hospitals in Turkey.

 

With the addition of problems such as insufficient number of test kits, thousands of citizens had to create long queues in hospitals. While this increases the risk of infection further, the expectation of healthcare workers is to solve the problems as soon as possible.

 

Trade Union of Employees in Public Health and Social Services (SES)  Kocaeli Branch President Murta Harata stated that the biggest problem experienced in the hospitals in Kocaeli is the shortage of protective equipments.

 

Herata stated that this lack also causes the medical intervention to the patients and said, “Almost all of the health workers have children and elderly relatives. They are worried about carrying viruses from hospitals to their own homes. We work mostly with no protective equipment. The problem of healthcare workers' inability to access protective materials such as masks and gloves needs to be resolved as soon as possible".