Urgent call from Senior Doctors
The full text of the notification made by the Turkish Medical Association:
Urgent Call From The Turkish Medical Association
Since the 31st of May 2013, an attempt has been made by the police to suppress the peaceful and legitimate demonstrations. The police forces are savagely using chemical gases on the unprotected civil masses.
Before complete blockage of health assistance to the injured people and the preclusion of the functioning of health services by the police attacks, which took place once again on the night of the 15th of June, the Turkish Medical Association started a web based survey in order to disclose the dangerous health effects of these gases targeted at defenseless people, and in one week over 11 thousand people declared that they have been affected by the gas.
65% of those who completed the survey were between 20-29 years of age and industrial protective-mask usage was only 13%. The total duration of exposure was evaluated among 11.164 replies. 53% declared that they were exposed to the chemical gases for 1-8 hours while 11% exposed more than 20 hours. Exposing the chemical gases more than one day increases the prevalence of the systemic symptoms, specifically cardiovascular symptoms. This data shows the scale of the problem.
Before the 15th of June disaster, the total number of injuries was 788 (7%). This data shows that the gas bombs were targeted against the people. Many of these were the injuries to the head, face, eyes, thorax and abdomen, all of which can be fatal. 20% of the injuries were open sores and fractures.
Only 5% of the people were admitted to hospital. The tagging of the people who are admitted to hospital is preventing people from going to the hospitals in order to ask medical assistance. The Ministry of Health opened an investigation into the Istanbul Chamber of Medicine, which is organizing the volunteer physicians’ work. In Istanbul a physician and a medical student were handcuffed and detained. There are many other piece of information about the detaining of health care staff. This data shows the witch-hunt in Turkey.
The Turkish Medical Association is making a call to the government to act responsibly and to stop the barbaric violence immediately. As the Turkish Medical Association it is our responsibility to inform the international community. We urgently call the international community to act against brutal suppression of democratic demands.
Turkish Medical Association