Scandalous statement from HÜDA PAR MP: Proposal for gender-segregated maternity wards

Faruk Dinç, who entered Parliament on the AKP lists in the 2023 General Elections, brought the issue of privacy in maternity wards to the agenda during a press conference he held at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). Claiming that female patients suffer due to privacy concerns, Dinç stated that more sensitivity should be shown regarding this matter.

In his speech at the Parliament, Dinç stated, "The failure to observe privacy in departments such as gynecology and obstetrics causes grievances," and argued that social values and sensitivities should be taken into consideration.

'A MAN ENTERING THAT DELIVERY ROOM...'

Dinç expressed the following: "Today, when a woman goes to the hospital to give birth, the issue she struggles with the most in that hospital is, in particular, the concern for privacy. There, in that hospital, in that delivery room, the presence of the opposite sex, a man entering that delivery room, puts the woman giving birth under serious stress and, in a way, hinders her from giving birth."

According to Faruk Dinç, some women are forced to choose cesarean sections solely due to privacy concerns. Dinç claimed that field research and interviews show that cesarean sections are increasing among young women specifically for this reason, and suggested that the stress and fear experienced by women both affect their surgical preferences and cause some patients to hesitate in accessing treatment.

Dinç further stated, "According to research, 19 percent of the problems women experience in these hospitals include privacy concerns. Then there is the stress regarding their bodies being seen. There is surgical stress, fear, and anxiety. When all of these are taken into account, we say that in maternity hospitals and gynecology departments, there should be staff consisting only of women or physicians consisting only of women," he said.

Pointing out that social beliefs and values are important and arguing that observing privacy in healthcare would have a positive effect on treatment processes, Dinç said, "There is a saying that 'there is no shame in health.' Yes, 'there is no shame in health,' but when we have these opportunities and such a social reality, a religious society, we must develop incentive policies to direct female physicians, especially to maternity hospitals and gynecology hospitals, and we must show sensitivity in this regard so that, at the very least, our women can access healthcare services comfortably and social trust can be established."