Prof. Dr. Sabahattin Aydın: The pandemic shattered our belief in dominance over nature

Prof. Dr. Sabahattin Aydın, Director of the Istanbul Medipol University Center for Health Systems and Policy Research and Practice (SASPAM), delivered a presentation titled “The Traces the Pandemic Has Left on Our Health and Social Life” at the organized meeting. Aydın shared with the participants, from the perspective of health administrators, the unknown aspects of the pandemic, social inequalities, and the transformations experienced within the health system. 

THE SOCIAL AND HEALTH SYSTEM IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC
At the event held on the South Campus, Aydın emphasized that since the 19th century, humanity has acted with the instinct to dominate nature and the universe, but that the pandemic fundamentally shook this belief. Drawing attention to the fact that a virus whose status as a living being is still debated affected all of humanity, Aydın used the following statements: “The belief that we can cure every disease was dominant. However, during this period, the belief that we were in control of nature was shattered. A virus whose very status as a living organism is disputed began to bring down even the mighty. We were reminded that, as powerful as we may be, we are also helpless.”

Stating that the pandemic equalized the rich and the poor in certain respects, and that everyone shared the same concerns in supermarket or bread queues, Aydın noted that consumption habits were also questioned during this process. Aydın remarked, “People realized that excessively stockpiling goods or food was meaningless, and that life could be lived more simply.”
 

NEW PARADIGMS IN THE HEALTH SYSTEM AFTER THE PANDEMIC
Stating that the existing paradigms in the health system collapsed during the pandemic process, Aydın said that the notion that “infectious diseases are the problem of poor countries, and chronic diseases are the problem of rich countries” has changed, and that developed countries were more severely affected by the pandemic.

Emphasizing that former health models built primarily on bed capacity and efficiency have been questioned, Aydın continued as follows: “Health workforce planning, bed capacity calculations, and definitions of the health system can no longer be conducted as before. Health systems had pursued the objective of ‘reducing the number of beds and shortening hospital stays’; this understanding has collapsed. The health system is not merely hospitals; it is an entire structure that also encompasses transportation, housing, nutrition, and social municipal services.”

SOLIDARITY AND LIMITATIONS TAUGHT BY THE PANDEMIC
Stating that the pandemic reminded humanity of its technological and existential limitations, Aydın expressed his gratitude to healthcare workers who worked with dedication and concluded his speech as follows: “Finally, healthcare professionals… They were greatly worn down during this process. Those who viewed the profession merely as a source of comfort and income were quickly consumed; however, those who regarded it as a sacrifice and service to humanity, and who embraced this as a way of life, proved to be far more resilient.”