'If security is questionable even in the hospital, where will we feel safe?'

An orange alert was issued at Izmir Atatürk Training and Research Hospital due to a suspected gas leak. Surgeries were halted, and healthcare workers and patients were evacuated for safety reasons.

Dr. Derya Uğur, President of the General Health Workers' Union, commented on today's incident, saying, "Are the lives of patients and healthcare workers so unimportant? Yes, this situation may have been overcome with minimal damage, but what happened at the time of the incident demonstrates the need to foresee what could happen and take the necessary precautions immediately."

Uğur, who stated that the nature of the dispersed gas could not be determined as a result of the measurements made by AFAD in the hospital, said, "Because it was stated that the device used may not be sufficient to detect the type of gas in the environment and that the device that should have been used for this measurement is currently under repair. In short, it was made as if it were again."

"Unfortunately, while the hospital should have 20 occupational health and safety specialists, only two were present. Who can be held accountable for the harm that has resulted from this negligence, or any that may arise? What accountability could be more valuable than human life? We are tired of fearing for our lives and living in fear of feeling our health is in danger," he said.

"IT IS STILL UNKNOWN WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO PATIENTS AND EMPLOYEES"

Uğur continued: "From the perspective of healthcare workers, those on duty were allowed to remain and others were evacuated. What is the life of healthcare workers who are not on duty, what is the life of those on duty? During this grave incident, our colleagues attempted to ventilate the environments where they were working with their own resources. Up until now, our colleagues have not been informed of the protective equipment they will be able to use. In short, we are faced with an incident that is a chain of negligence."

The doors to the taped fire escapes have been opened, the ruined fire escapes are unusable, the operating room has no windows due to the nature of the work, only the window in the staff break room has been opened, the window in the outer corridor is screwed shut with four nails and can only be opened with a Phillips screwdriver – since it is impossible to obtain a Phillips screwdriver in the normal flow of life during a panic, healthcare workers and patients are at risk of death in the event of a potential disaster.

The deputy chief physician was on duty in the building throughout the investigation, working to identify and implement protective measures. Healthcare workers themselves disabled the automatic doors and attempted to ventilate the area.

While these efforts were ongoing, the Pathology Laboratory canceled the Code Orange, stating that the chemical likely had entered the ventilation system. In an environment where reliable measurements were not being made, why and by whom was the Code Orange canceled?

"It is still unknown what will happen to patients, intensive care patients, those requiring emergency surgery and our staff in the next period, and what will be done."

"WHAT IS THE USE OF A SOCIAL STATE?"

Uğur, who asks the question, "How effectively can a healthcare worker who is concerned about their own health be involved in the health of patients?", asks, "If security is questionable even in a hospital in a country, where will we, the citizens, feel safe? What good is a "social state" that cannot protect the health of its citizens?"

As healthcare workers, it's clear that we will work tirelessly under all circumstances—war, chemical spills, earthquakes, and all other disasters. In these situations, occupational health and safety experts are essential to provide the necessary equipment and guidance on what to do during evacuations.

"We want to practice our profession, which we have dedicated ourselves to with all our heart, soul, and nails, with confidence. While we strive day and night to heal, we don't want to lose our patients due to negligence. Our expectations are minimal; we want to live and let live," he said.

The hospital's fire escape was captured like this. It has been reported that the fire escape has been in this state for approximately 1.5 years.