PodcastProvincial health authority seals off field hospital built by Turkey's main opposition
The Adana Provincial Health Directorate has sealed a field hospital constructed by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) off over "not being sanitary." According to the directorate, a license application was not filed by the municipality before its construction.
Duvar English
The provincial health authorities in the southern province of Adana have sealed a field hospital constructed by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) off over "not being sanitary."
Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar and the municipality turned a fairground to a field hospital with 1,000 beds in order to be used in the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Sahra Hastanemizi, kendi standartlarında tüm altyapısıyla tamamladık. Gerektiğinde sağlık ekibimiz ile birlikte Sağlık Bakanlığı'mıza devredebilir ve yatak kapasitesini artırabiliriz. Umarız ihtiyaç olmaz ama biz her senaryoya karşı tedbirimizi almalıyız.#BirizBeraberiz pic.twitter.com/jr7HDlPBkN
— Zeydan Karalar (@ZeydanKaralar01) April 18, 2020
Adana Provincial Health Directorate said that the hospital is not appropriate for medical services, adding that a license application was not filed by the municipality before its construction.
"It was examined whether a license application was submitted to our directorate regarding turning the fairground into a hospital and it was determined that no application was made," the directorate said in its reasoning, following inspections by its teams on April 18.
Adana Büyükşehir Belediyesi’nin sahra hastanesi yapmak için hazırladığı fuar alanı, “gerekli izin alınmadığı ve sağlık hizmeti vermeye uygun olmadığı” gerekçesiyle mühürlendi. İşte, tutanak pic.twitter.com/S7aGRhkITd
— İsmail Saymaz (@ismailsaymaz) April 18, 2020
CHP lawmakers Ayhan Barut, Müzeyyen Şevkin and Orhan Sümer were also present during the inspections.
The rift over the hospital has been ongoing for a week, with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials saying that the place is lacking the necessities of a hospital.
CHP, in return, has been saying that it's only a field hospital to be used temporarily and should not be compared to a regular hospital.
The sealing off of the hospital is the latest incident in the government's policies against CHP municipalities since the beginning of the pandemic, with the main opposition saying that the AKP is constantly hindering their efforts to aid the people.
The Interior Ministry previously banned CHP municipalities from holding donation campaigns against coronavirus.
Interior ministry launches probe into Istanbul Mayor over collection of donations against coronavirus