A conceptual approach to Violence Against Healthcare in Turkey from SDG’s

(UN Brussels, 2018)

This article was exclusively written for The Sting by Mr Muhsin Öznaneci, a medical student from Istanbul Medeniyet LC/TurkMSIC. He is affiliated to the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA). However, the opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

In Turkey, we are having issues about Violence Against Healthcare and we can’t do our duties as proper as it should be. If we are talking to reach the SDG goal 3,we have to take steps about Violence Against Healthcare and we have to regulate ourselves for this concept.In this text,I analysed the violence against healthcare by comparing with SDG and proposing steps of solution according to SDGs.

At beginning, I want to give some news and updates from Turkey. In last two years,23.120 cases of Violence Against Healthcare have been reported to the press work and it is presented because of medical complication or the irresponsibility of the Healthcare Professional.[1]As a result, it has a negative impact our motivation about our profession and our lives. Also, it inhibits us from moving forward about SDG3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages.

At the beginning, we must mention what are the SDG’s (Sustainable Development Goals). On September 25th, 2015, countries adopted a set of goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years.[2] These goals have a broad spectrum of zero hunger (SDG 2), to Climate Change (SDG 13), to Gender Equality (SDG 5) etc.

And after setting the goals, they had a deadline of 2030.And the 3^rd goal was deeply linked to the healthcare services: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for at all ages. We, the healthcare professionals have started our career with a quote: “Primum non nocere” which means “First, do not harm”. And, after that we have sworn an oath of Hippocrates which includes this quote: “I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required” and we are obliged to work for the high benefit of our patients.

One of the key targets of goal 3 is especially this: “Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States.” For this, Healthcare Professionals and the governments should work together as one unit. But for this, us, the healthcare professionals need a safe working environment and by the statistics, you can see that we are not feeling safe and we always have the fear of death breathing behind us. And because of these circumstances, we are losing our faith to SDGs.

But we believe that there is still hope and we can change our circumstances. We need to remember why we have these goals and what can we do. So for this,I invite all NGOs and GOs to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development ,which is the main phrase of SDG 17, and to start a act for stainding against Violence Against Healthcare. If we want to say that we want to achieve these goals,at first step we need to improve the sources,the tools we have.

For this,I call all the people who reads this article to act against violence against healthcare,so we can manage our goals.We can have the opportunity to work,to improve bur most important:to live and save

References

[1]Özcan F., Yavuz E. Health workers under threat of violence in Turkey Jour Turk Fam Phy 2017; 08 (3): 66-74. Doi: 10.15511/tjtfp.17.00236.

[2] http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/#