The renewed terrorism campaign by the PKK in southeastern and eastern Turkey has raised concerns among health care workers, as the terrorist organization frequently threatens doctors, nurses and paramedics.
In Hakkari, a hotbed for terror attacks, 13 doctors working at public hospitals resigned, while many others asked to be reassigned to other cities. Moreover, local doctor's associations point to extremely low morale in the wake of recent acts of violence as a factor leading healthcare workers to want to leave Hakkari, while locals complain of the lack of doctors in hospitals.
Hospitals have increasingly become the target of terrorists bent on cutting off a lifeline to troops and soldiers who are targeted almost daily in terror attacks. A climate of fear is prevalent in Hakkari in particular, especially after the killing of four health care workers in the region in the past three months, and doctors are occasionally threatened by PKK supporters. At least 13 doctors resigned citing security reasons, while other doctors took indefinite leaves and left the city. Others preferred reassignments to safer cities.
Ahmet Koç, head of an association of doctors in Hakkari, said violence is the main concern for physicians. He told Anadolu Agency (AA) that doctors who completed their obligatory assignment period at public hospitals in Hakkari do not seek to renew their assignment and ask to be reassigned. "If their reassignment requests are denied, they quit," he said, adding that the morale among healthcare workers is extremely low nowadays.
