Mother of little Asya slams authorities in north for failing to provide meds and supplies

The mother of Turkish Cypriot infant with a rare disease slammed health authorities in the north for failing to provide patients with necessary medicines, media across the divide reported on Friday.

But ‘health minister’ Izlem Gyurchag Altugra had denied claims of medicine shortages.

Little Asya, suffering from muscular atrophy (SMA), had been treated at Makarios Hospital in Nicosia and had received special treatment paid for by the Republic of Cyprus. In the north, there is a large group of volunteer supporters who continue to collect money for the costs of her treatment.

However, the mother of one-year-old Asya, Güler Polatli has claimed in a social media post that the ‘pharmaceutical services’ lack the medicines her baby needs as well as the special milk she must have.

She explained that 20 suction catheters were given for Asya, which she needs to be able to breathe. The officials, she continued, told her to make conservative use of the suction catheters. “I don’t have that option,” she wrote.

The ‘pharmaceutical services’, she added, guaranteed her that they will have these catheters next month, however she is concerned because of the many shortages that exist. “And if they don’t have it, what am I going to do?” the mother asked.

Regarding the special milk for little Asya, her mother said that on Wednesday there was no milk at the ‘pharmaceutical services’ and she had to go to the Nicosia general hospital and get what they had. “Now I don’t know if there is milk or not at the hospital.”

And it is not only her daughter who faces the problem of supplies and medicines, Polatli said, adding there are many patients who face a supply issue of medicines.

The mother said she was contacted by the ‘presidency’ asking whether the issue of medicines was resolved.

She said herself was unable to find a solution, but she needs to before her daughter runs out of medicines and supplies.

Altugra had denied the mother’s claim on television, saying that the way she presented the situation was misleading.

“The baby was given food and medical supplies,” the ‘minister’ had said.

The shortage of medicines in the north, especially of specific treatments or chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease, is an issue often reported by the TC media.