PodcastDoctors at Istanbul's biggest hospital hold protest over ministry's failure to pay coronavirus bonuses
Several healthcare workers at Istanbul's Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, which plays a crucial role in the fight against the coronavirus, have staged a protest on the hospital premises, saying that they have not fully received their supplementary payments as was promised by the Health Ministry. The healthcare staff also demanded that the hospital management acts to ensure safe conditions for them to conduct their works.
Duvar English
A group of healthcare workers, including 100 doctors, on Oct. 5 held a protest in front of the office of the chief physician at Başakşehir Çam (Pine) and Sakura City Hospital, Istanbul's largest hospital.
Turkey's healthcare workers protest gov't for widening wage gap with coronavirus bonusThe healthcare staff said in a statement that they did not get their supplementary payments for the months of June and July -- which were promised during the coronavirus epidemic. They said that although they received these additional coronavirus payments for the months of August, September and October, the payments stayed way below expectations.
The doctors also wanted to find about if these supplementary payments will be paid after the month of November, demanding that the hospital management acts to ensure safe conditions for them to conduct their works.
Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital was formally opened with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in May. Although the hospital is not considered a pandemic hospital, it plays a crucial role in the fight against the coronavirus.
Turkish doctors have been for weeks now saying that they are “exhausted” amid the increasing number of COVID-19 infections and the government is unable to “manage” the pandemic.
HealthMinister Fahrettin Koca announced in March that healthcare workersinvolved in the fight against the COVID-19 would be provided anadditional payment for their works.
Severalhealthcare staff members however have since said that they have notbenefitted from this additional payment and there are injustices withregards to this implementation.
The Health Ministry has recently raised eyebrows after increasing these supplementary payments by 100 percent for staff of the directorate of religious affairs (Diyanet) that are responsible from handling the deceased’ bodies, whereas only promised a 50 percent increase for the doctors.
Doctors see up to 50 pct rise in coronavirus bonuses, whereas Diyanet staff see 100 pct rise