The holiday greeting tradition of Üsküdar University and NPİSTANBUL Brain Hospital family was not broken. Academic, expert, and administrative staff participated in the 'Online Holiday Greeting' ceremony held with the participation of Üsküdar University Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan. The Üsküdar University family experienced a somber holiday greeting ceremony in the shadow of the recent increase in violence against healthcare professionals.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Healthcare Professionals Fear Violence in Healthcare More Than COVID”
The ceremony began with the speech of Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan. Tarhan congratulated everyone on the holiday and drew attention to the recent incidents of violence in healthcare. Tarhan said; “Healthcare professionals are entering this holiday with fear. When COVID began, we had developed a COVID-19 study scale related to fears, perceptions, post-traumatic growth, and phobias. It became the thesis of 25 master's students in clinical psychology. It was conducted with over 6,000 people. In the healthcare profession, the fear of violence in healthcare was found to be higher than the fear of COVID. Healthcare professionals fear violence in healthcare more than COVID. Now it has increased even more, and there are 3 reasons for this. Firstly, physicians and healthcare workers were devalued; they were rendered worthless by senior management and other reasons. A public perception emerged that they could be beaten. Secondly, a general segment of society has a past trauma related to the healthcare system. They have been pushed and shoved in the healthcare system. They are blaming physicians for this. This is a very cruel approach. Every incident should be evaluated individually. Thirdly, healthcare workers now go to meet patients, go to clinics with a fear inside them. Because they go with fear, this also spreads to the other party. Saying 'they are hiding something from me, they are not smiling, they are not comfortable,' their suspicion increases and they become aggressive,' he stated.
Tarhan: “This is Not Violence Against Physicians, But Violence Against the Healthcare System”
Tarhan, emphasizing the maximization of penalties and warnings, said; “Otherwise, we will not be able to find physicians. This is not violence against physicians, but violence against the healthcare system. Appointments cannot be made. Instead of preparing for TUS, young physicians are learning German to go abroad. You can prepare a good infrastructure for the healthcare system, good tools, devices, but machines do not treat the patient, the physician treats them. If there are no dedicated professionals, the healthcare system cannot function. This is Turkey, we should not be hopeless; we will overcome it in any case,” he stated.
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Zelka: “The Reason for Problems is Our Deviation from the Elements That Make Us Who We Are as Society, Individuals, and Values”
Üsküdar University Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Zelka stated that social problems shook us significantly before the holiday. Zelka said; 'When we look at society as a whole, we unfortunately observe that these kinds of problems are increasing. The reason for this is our deviation from the elements that make us who we are as a society, individuals, and values. Mehmet Akif has a very beautiful couplet, 'Do not take lightly, national morality is the national spirit. Its destruction is the most terrifying death. It is a universal death, a total death.' One of the meanings of Qurban (sacrifice) is to draw closer. I hope this Eid al-Adha brings us closer to values,' he said.
Prof. Dr. Sevil Atasoy: “The Perception That Health is a Purchased Service Has Settled in Society”
Üsküdar University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Sevil Atasoy, stating that the perception of health as a purchased service has settled in society, said; “This perception needs to be eliminated, otherwise the continuation of this violence is inevitable. Because they think they are buying a product they paid for. This commercialization needs to be prevented,” she said.
Prof. Dr. Haydar Sur: “World Peace Will Be Shaped in the Hands of Healthcare Professionals”
Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine Dean Prof. Dr. Haydar Sur stated that it is a heartbreaking situation for people working for health, anywhere in Turkey or the world, to be murdered by those with an unhealthy state of mind. “World peace will be shaped in the hands of healthcare professionals. I wish everyone a very good holiday. May Allah grant us to return to our duties healthily after the holiday,” he stated.
Prof. Dr. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin: “If We Continue Like This, We Will Have Difficulty Finding Colleagues to Practice Medicine”
Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences Dean Prof. Dr. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin also touched upon malpractice lawsuits. Ertekin said; “I believe that our professors, like Nevzat Hodja, who give good messages to society and have good communication, have additional responsibilities regarding these incidents. Laws protect us, but we see what we are experiencing. Our age group is not one that is apprehensive about diseases and these types of incidents, but the new generation's perspective on events is a bit different. If we continue like this, we will have difficulty finding colleagues to practice medicine,” he said.
During the holiday greeting ceremony, which was overshadowed by the sadness of violence incidents in the healthcare sector, the academic, expert, and administrative members of Üsküdar University and NPİSTANBUL Brain Hospital shared their holiday wishes and aspirations.