Call of Turkish Medical Association (TTB)

It is not possible to practice medicine under these circumstances

WE ASK ALL MEDICAL DOCTORS TO ABANDON THEIR ROUTINE WORK AND, INSTEAD, RUSH TO HELP OUR CITIZENS WHO ARE SUBJECTED TO BRUTAL VIOLENCE ON THE STREETS.

The violence exercised against protestors –who have gathered to protect Taksim Gezi Park and have been conducting a totally peaceful and democratic manner- caused injury of many of our citizens and the death of a young person named Mehmet Ayvalıtaş.
As of 3 June 2013, information obtained by Turkish Medical Association (TMA) regarding injured protestors is as follows:
According to information Istanbul Medical Chamber received from Provincial Directorate of Health, there are 5 people in intensive care units, 2 people in critical condition and 26 people under general care. More than 880 people got admitted to hospitals during this process including outpatient cases. If we add the 625 people who got treatment in Istanbul Medical Chamber emergency departments, there are at least 1485 injuries in Istanbul and this this excludes injuries that haven't been reported yet.
During the protests in Ankara, on the other hand, according to information our colleagues in hospitals communicated to Ankara Medical Chamber, at least 515 injured (out of which 15 in critical condition) were admitted to hospitals. A young person, who has been injured in head, is currently struggling for life in Ankara Numune Hospital.
According to data communicated from İzmir; within 2 days, 800 injured were admitted to hospitals. 2 patients are known to be in critical condition.
As a result of the latest police attacks against public in several cities including Adana, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Kocaeli, Antalya and Hatay, there are hundreds of injured some being in critical condition and detainees whose we have not been able to find out the exact number so far.
Police’s attitude is worrisome for the well-being of citizens!
The majority of the injuries are caused by unmeasured use of water cannons targeting human body, by firing pepper spray capsules directly at protestors and firing rubber bullets from a short distance. As a consequence of aforementioned injuries, many of our citizens lost their eyes. There are patients with skull fracture, experiencing cerebral haemorrhage and with foreign bodies in their brains.
Under these brutal circumstances routine medical service cannot be delivered. In order to deliver ordinary, routine medical services, the country ought to normalise. In order for us to carry out routine medical practice, the inflow of injured from the squares of Beşiktaş, Taksim, Kızılay, Adana, İzmir ought to stop.
As Turkish Medical Association, we believe that the protests that are being /will be carried out for the protection of Taksim Gezi Park and against the violence are fully legitimate and therefore we support protests.
We ask all our colleagues to react to this brutality, to focus their medical practices on emergencies until the moment comes when citizens are not subjected to fatal injuries anymore and TO ABANDON THEIR ROUTINE WORK, INSTEAD, RUSH TO HELP OUR CITIZENS WHO ARE SUBJECTED TO BRUTAL VIOLENCE ON THE STREETS.