The second meeting of the Turkish Kidney Foundation, which aims for people who have chronic illnesses to progressing in the right way in their business life, has been held in Turkish Kidney Foundation Dr. Ahmet Ermiş Hospital. It has gathered the chronic kidney patient going into dialysis and Zeynep Güzel, Turkish Employment Agency Bahçelievler Service Job and Vocational Counsellor
The second meeting of the Support at Work Project has realized with the participation of chronic kidney patients. The second meeting of this Project that has been started under the leadership of Abbvie, a global bio-pharmaceutical company, with the aim of informing the patients about the steps they should follow while looking for the job and raising the public awareness about the subject has been held with the support of Turkish Employment Agency Service Centre and Turkish Kidney Foundation. Chronic illnesses are defined as the most essential health problem in 21st century by both WHO and UN. (1) There are 22 billion people who are under effect of one or more chronic illnesses in Turkey according to the researches. (2) From this point of view, Support at Work Project has been started by Abbvie, a global bio-pharmaceutical company, to help the patients who have difficulty in finding a job and to show the right steps in the process of finding a job and raise a new vision and the second meeting of it has been held with the support of Turkish Employment Agency Service Centre and Turkish Kidney Foundation on Friday in 5 September. The second meeting of Support at Work Project held in Turkish Kidney Foundation Dr. Ahmet Ermiş Hospital has gathered chronic kidney patients going into dialysis and Turkish Employment Foundation
SERVICE JOB AND VOCATIONAL COUNSELLOR ZEYNEP GÜZEL
Zeynep Güzel, Turkish Employment Foundation Service Job and Vocational Counsellor, informed the patients about the practical methods such as ways of job placement, techniques of proper CV preparation, the points to take into consideration while looking for a job as well as the retirement conditions and the working conditions suitable for them. In addition, the difficulties the patients faced during looking for a job has been mentioned in the meeting. Assist. Prof Bilal Görçin, Head Doctor of Turkish Kidney Foundation Ahmet Ermiş Dialysis Centre stated that ‘’ 36.8 per cent of people aged 15 and older of the Turkish population have a chronic health problem affecting their routine life. (3) Moreover, A chronic illness patient is retiring earlier, working less, and becoming unemployed for a longer time, spending more on health, and gaining less money. The patients going into dialysis have difficulty in their both social and business life because of the treatment they received. At this point, I think that it is vital to find a job suitable for them and their health conditions. Thus, we are so glad that we are taking place in such an important project drawing attention the sensitivity on this subject and aiming at informing the chronic patients on the subject of job placement. In addition to all of these things, I would like to express that 3 of the chronic kidney patients who had participated in our meeting last year started to work in a job suitable for them after our meeting.’’
RAISING THE AWARENESS
Zeynep Güzel, Turkish Employment Foundation Service Job and Vocational Counsellor, took the floor and told that ‘’ It is essential to know the ways they should follow in the process of job placement and application for chronic patients in term of finding a job suitable for them. I think that telling their situation and information about their treatments elaborately the establishment they work, stating their skills and contribution they will make to the establishment in the right way is essential and beneficial for them in the process of job placement. It is really meaningful to take part in such an important project executed to raise the awareness on this subject and support the patients during job placement.’’
SUPPORT AT WORK PROJECT WILL GO ON
Seval Aksoy, Abbvie Turkey Human Resources Director, said that ‘’ our priority as AbbVie is to support our patients to live a healthier life. Therefore, we started Support at Work Project based on our patient-oriented attitude, satisfying the patient beyond the medications mentality last year. We are rewarded ‘’ The Most Successful Health Corporation in Raising Health Consciousness’’ by Health Corps Foundation this year. It is very important and motivating that our project has been rewarded and now we are holding the second meeting of Support at Work Project and our meetings devoted to the other chronic illnesses will go on in 2014 within the scope of Support at Work Project.’’