Father marches to Ankara for gov't support to cystic fibrosis patients
The father of a cystic fibrosis patient, Caner Çiçek is marching to Ankara to urge the Health Ministry to support patients of the disease more effectively. Çiçek is urging the government to import medication and include coverage for cystic fibrosis in the state insurance.
Osman Çaklı / DUVAR
A man named Caner Çiçek is marching from the Aegean province of İzmir to the capital Ankara to raise awareness about children including his own son who suffer from cystic fibrosis, a fatal hereditary disease.
Çiçek is calling for cystic fibrosis treatment to be covered by state health insurance, as the illness requires around-the-clock care of patients.
The father also wants to speak with the Health Ministry and urge them to import medication that could alleviate symptoms of the illness and improve the patient's quality of life.
"That way we won't need to live in the hospital for months," Çiçek said.
Çiçek's son is on almost 17 different medications and often needs to use a ventilator to help him breathe.
Noting that the disease affects about one in each 3,000 children, Çiçek urged society to support their cause.