IYI Party Deputy Group Chairman Turhan Çömez: Decision to Extend Ramazan Bayram Holiday to 9 Days Has Negatively Affected 10 Million Patients

IYI Party Deputy Group Chairman Turhan Çömez announced that the sudden decision to extend the Ramazan Bayram holiday to 9 days has negatively affected 10 million patients.

Çömez stated, “The cost of this unplanned decision has been heavy. The number of patients whose appointments were cancelled is 10 million. Appointments for cancer patients’ chemotherapy and radiotherapy have also been cancelled.

Surgeries, imaging, and treatments have also been postponed,” he said, adding:

“Under normal circumstances, April 2-3-4 were working days, and during these days, polyclinic appointments, laboratory tests, imaging, surgeries, as well as chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments for cancer patients were scheduled. However, these days were also declared as holidays by the President Erdoğan’s order. Planned health services have been postponed. The last-minute decision to extend the holiday, cancel services, has brought not only economic costs but also health-related risks. The Health Minister should disclose the exact number of cancellations, risks, burdens, and economic costs.”