Fahrettin Koca's 'Gaza' letter to the WHO: 'As a Minister of Health, a human, and a father, my call to you is...'

Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca shared the letter he wrote to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on his social media account.

Beginning his letter with the sentences, "Life in Gaza, if it can be called 'life', has been under very severe war conditions for more than two weeks... I am aware of the attention you have devoted to this extraordinary situation as the Director-General of the World Health Organization. Above all, as a human being and an advocate for human health who has dedicated himself to the service of humanity, I can imagine how you feel," Koca thanked him and the organization he is a member of for all the efforts they have made to ensure that the healthcare services Gaza desperately needs reach the region.

Emphasizing that much more can be done for Gaza, where innocent civilians are losing their lives and injured children cannot access healthcare services, than what has been done so far, Koca expressed that he believes this with all his heart.

Minister of Health Koca noted the following in his letter:

"The days we are living in impose a mission on the World Health Organization to prevent the further trampling of human dignity. I have no doubt that with the decisions you will lead, the resources you will mobilize, and your personal prestige, you can take steps that will turn the expectations of world societies into reality and be met with great gratitude. Seeing the World Health Organization fall far behind these expectations, or even knowing that it remains behind political wills, is not an acceptable phenomenon. I do not think that our expectation from this institution, which is in its 75th year and has achieved successful results against many crises during this time, is an expectation that exceeds its power.

We demand that the obstacles before us be removed so that we can provide healthcare services to the injured children and those whose cancer treatments have been interrupted, and of course, we are waiting with great hope for this institution, of which we are a member, to urgently demonstrate its power far beyond this. The World Health Organization, with its leadership responsibility and by taking the necessary initiatives urgently, must guarantee the safety of the healthcare services to be provided in Gaza."

Pointing out that Turkey is ready to deliver the necessary healthcare services to Gaza for the victims of the war, especially sick children, and to provide treatment for the wounded, and that it has made the necessary preparations, Koca concluded his letter with the words: "What is missing to save lives is the creation of the necessary conditions. One of the mottos of the World Health Organization is 'health for all', and the other is 'leave no one behind'. As a Minister of Health, a human, and a father, my call to you is to demonstrate once again that these two mottos are a reality. I convey the greetings of all of Turkey, full of expectations. Sincerely."

News Source: AA