In Beylikbağı, in 1987, one of our idealistic young physicians, Dr. Under the leadership of Ayhan Tokgöz, we came together with a few physician friends and, as Gazete Gebze, we scrutinized the Lokman Hekim Health Foundation, which was established to provide services to people in need of health care in the region without financial concerns. We visited the founder of the foundation, Dr. Ayhan Tokgöz, and General Manager Leyla Şeker at the foundation's headquarters in Beylikbağı. Dr. We talked with Ayhan Tokgöz about the foundation's founding period, what they did, health, occupational safety, social responsibility projects, donations and donors. Here is that striking interview;
Mr. President; Could you briefly describe Lokman Hekim Health Foundation?
"30 years ago, we started to provide service on one night in Gebze, Beylikbağı, Ankara Street. We saw that the service was in great demand. Therefore, we bought the land here with the support of our municipality and decided to establish a hospital and provide services. However, since we did the hospital construction only with donations, we completed it in about 10 years and opened it with 21 beds and 4 emergency beds. However, as a slum, for example, a gallbladder surgery will be scheduled in 6 months." "We tried to provide priority service to people as if it were a given day, but when our income was not enough, we turned it into a Medical Center. As a Medical Center, we have cared for nearly 235 thousand patients for free. Let's imagine, we cared for a number of people that would fill a large stadium 10 times. We did not look at these people in the old way. We tried to help with many problems such as what is wrong with these people, is there anything we can help with at home?"
What have you done since it started operations in 1986? How many projects have been completed? Could you briefly mention them?
"As a foundation, we gave scholarships to medical students. When we established the foundation, we first said that we would not provide services other than health. But you give medicine to a patient, but if the patient cannot be fed, gets wet in the rain, does not have a coat or shoes, the medicine does not help. We gave them clothing and food aid. We tried to help those in need. We made a recycling project that will prevent the cutting down of nearly 500 thousand trees. We gave scholarships to thousands of children in our region who cannot read, at primary, secondary and high school levels. Reading to our middle-aged and older women - We organized a writing course. We started a project to give scholarships to medical students, which I am very proud of and have been very passionate about lately. We are currently giving scholarships to 50 students. We are planning to increase this number to 100. We are not only giving money to our friends like any other foundation or association, but we are meeting with them and organizing seminars."
As a foundation sustained by donations and donors, do you also operate services that generate recurring income? How much of the donations collected is distributed as student scholarships?
"So far, 34 thousand people have donated to our foundation. We have received donations from all kinds of religious, ethnic origins and people living in these lands. Some of these donations regularly cover scholarships. In this context, we are providing educational scholarships to 431 primary / high school students and 50 Faculty of Medicine students in the 2016 / 2017 academic year. We also have permanent income-generating resources. We have collected and recycled recyclables for many years and used the income we obtained from them for our scholars. Previously, we collected waste automobile tires. Now, we collect non-hazardous paper and plastic waste and start providing Occupational Health and Safety services to companies. Companies that receive this service from us receive a portion of the fee they pay to our students as scholarships and food for our patients. I am calling on our companies from here. Get your legally obligatory Occupational Health and Safety and First Aid training service from us. “Let us contribute.”
As a foundation, you served many people in need with the "Blue Card" application in 1991, before the green card application had even started in our country. What did you aim for in this project? Were you successful?
"As a foundation, we started the 'blue card' application in 1991. Our state introduced the green card service in 1993, two years after us. At that time, when our patients came, we were entering their information in different places. This created problems in terms of recording and archiving. Old-timers know that there were multi-leaf health certificates. Instead, we distributed blue cards. We recorded all the information on that card. It was an application that we remembered. We, like Gebze, had health cards. We are the first foundation to establish a hospital in an area that was a slum at that time. Do I regret it now? Yes, we should have established something here, but it was not a hospital. We should have established the hospital in the center of Gebze so that we could make money and send the patients we could not solve here. We have cared for nearly 700 thousand patients so far. Our aim is to contribute to the education of new physicians and encourage them to care for their patients."
Through the occupational health and safety unit, you provide services to industrial organisations, businesses and tradespeople. What would you like to say about this service? What do you expect from the medical students who receive your scholarships?
"Our workplaces, industrial facilities and SMEs should receive the OSGB and First Aid training they have to receive from us, if possible. In this way, they will both contribute to our students and put this service into practice. Our private health institutions, hospitals can open their doors to our newly graduated doctor brothers, our children will gain experience there. Nothing less will help. We all complain about some conditions in Turkey. But complaining is not enough. They should provide their aid through foundations and associations, even if they are small. People should provide their aid through foundations and associations, even if they are small." They say, "I don't have any income, how can I help?" 1 lira per month is also an income. 10 liras a month is also an income. Going and doing a job is also an income. The important thing is to show our patriotism and humanity to our citizens and the people in need.”
What are LHSV's goals in the coming period? What would you like to say to those who support you with donations and those who want to support you?
"Our scholarships and activities will continue. In mid-October, we will have a concert by Candan Erçetin for these scholarships. The income will be spent entirely on the education of our young doctor candidates studying in medical faculties. A close family friend has promised us to build a hospital. We will try to realize this. Different people have different intentions. We say intention is essential. We also want to move to a more widespread, one-to-one health care system. We are planning this. For now, we are going with mostly scholarships. A close family friend has promised us to build a hospital. Different people They have different intentions. We say that intention is essential. We also want to move to a more widespread, one-to-one healthcare system.
Interview: Kamil Uzunmehmet – Samet Kahraman
