Attack on doctor protested

News Center

Doctors yesterday protested the assault of Dr. Baran Şeşen, who works at the Artukbey Family Health Center in the Artuklu district of Mardin , by a patient's relative. Gathering in front of the health center where the attack occurred, members of the Mardin Health Platform unfurled a banner reading "No to Violence in Healthcare" and chanted slogans such as "We don't want violence in healthcare" and "Business in healthcare brings death."

Dr. Yavuz Adıbelli, director of the Mardin Medical Chamber, stated that market-driven health policies and the "Health Transformation Program" in Türkiye since 2003 have further exacerbated violence. He said, "Unfortunately, violence has become the biggest and most pressing problem in our work environments today. A 2023 survey found that nearly 9 out of 10 physicians who participated in the survey had experienced violence from a patient or relative at least once during their careers. Of those who experienced violence, nearly two-thirds did not file a code white or report it to the relevant authorities."

Adıbelli stated that violence in healthcare will not end unless laws are effectively implemented to protect healthcare workers. He said, "Violence in healthcare will not end unless protective and preventive measures are taken. A law on violence in healthcare must be enacted immediately and effectively implemented."