A leading Turkish medical association is sounding the alarm about the state of the nation’s healthcare system, arguing that it has turn into overly focused on profit and performance metrics at the expense of patient care and physician well-being. The criticism comes as healthcare access and affordability remain key concerns for citizens across the country.
A SYSTEM DRIVEN BY SCORES, NOT QUALITY
Dr. F. Yüce Ayhan, president of the İzmir Medical Chamber, stated that Turkey’s current healthcare system is largely a result of the Health Transformation Program, which he believes prioritizes financial gain over healthcare as a public service or right. According to Dr. Ayhan, the system now views patients as “customers.”
“The high qualifications, mental activity, and decision-making process required by the profession are beginning to be disregarded,” Dr. Ayhan said. “Physicians’ success is no longer measured by accurate diagnoses or treatment quality, but by score-based data such as the number of outpatient clinics, and patients.”
PHYSICIANS UNDER STRAIN
Dr. Ayhan described the performance-based system within the public sector as punitive for doctors, who he said are working with base salaries that don’t reflect their qualifications and often fall below the poverty line. He noted that there are significant pay disparities even among physicians performing the same work, and those in the private sector are “at the mercy of capital.”
Family doctors, in particular, are facing both administrative and financial pressures, Dr. Ayhan explained. Despite providing a public service, they are burdened by operating expenses and penalty-based evaluations. He added that a failure to implement proper referral systems is increasing the strain on hospitals and creating conflict between doctors and patients.
SECURITY CONCERNS AND SYSTEMIC FLAWS
The İzmir Medical Chamber also raised concerns about the inadequacy of security measures to protect healthcare workers from violence, noting that verbal abuse and harassment are widespread. Dr. Ayhan stated that current measures taken by the Ministry, such as increased security at hospital entrances, are insufficient and merely for show, calling for permanent legal regulations to address the issue.
Dr. Ayhan further criticized city hospitals as “a black hole” consuming public resources, and said that public university hospitals are hampered by incompetent management, budget cuts, and staffing shortages. He believes the current system is beyond repair and that a new healthcare model is needed—one that prioritizes quality over scores, ensures fair wages and working conditions for physicians, and provides better access to care for citizens.
“We, as the Turkish Medical Association and Chambers of Physicians, are working to ensure that this is seen and demanded by society,” Dr. Ayhan said.
