Health Minister slams LÖSEV’s efforts to increase hospital’s bed capacity

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

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Health Minister Mehmet Müezzinoğlu has labeled the Foundation for Children with Leukemia’s (LÖSEV) efforts to build a hospital with a capacity of 400 beds “unethical,” as the foundation had initially applied to build only a 100-bed capacity hospital. Müezzinoğlu also said a foundation cannot be stronger than the state, and LÖSEV should adhere to the initial permission it received.

During a press conference held after a meeting with Djibouti’s health minister Kassım İssak on Feb. 24, in response to a question about LÖSEV’s effort to build the hospital, Müezzinoğlu stressed that no one should try to “confine Turkey’s governance” by appealing to sympathy.

‘It is unethical and unacceptable’

“LÖSEV had applied to build a hospital with a capacity of 100 beds and we provided them with the necessary permit. However, an attitude saying ‘I’m strong enough to shape public opinion and I can even build a hospital with 400 beds’ is unethical. No one can confine Turkey’s governance to this unethical and unacceptable approach,” he said.

Müezzinoğlu said the Health Ministry is currently developing a system in order to prevent further shortages of doctors and nurses, and every organization that wants to invest in the health sector must apply for permission.
“If LÖSEV intends to build a hospital with such a capacity, how will they find the staff? If you try to hire doctors and nurses who were trained specifically for the Health Ministry by offering higher wages, eventually you disrupt the working mechanisms of the health system,” he said.

[HH] ‘An organization cannot be stronger than the Turkish State’

The minister hit out at those “trying to become power elites.”

“We are trying to build a nationwide structure that aims to reach children with leukemia and we are trying to accomplish that through our own training program and human resources. I say to those who try to become power elites: A foundation cannot be stronger than the Turkish state. They should stick to the permission they have received and obey the rules,” he said.

‘Foreign doctors may be hired’

Müezzinoğlu also stated that if LÖSEV meets the requirements, the ministry could approve foreign doctors and nurses working in Turkey.

LÖSEV recently applied to the Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK) for an advertisement aimed at reaching donors for the construction of a village for children with leukemia, to be televised free of charge under the “public service advertisement” category. However, the Health Ministry has applied for the advertisement’s removal, stating that it “did not hold public benefits.”