Turkey Medical System

Health tourism is one of the oldest types of tourism in the world. Patients from around the world travel to seek healing in distant places and continue to do so. In fact, Turkey has been among the most popular destinations of health tourism in recent years. Turkey offers both cost advantage, opportunity to travel and high quality technological infrastructure to foreign patients, therefore it is one of the preferences of international patients. Considering the cost, treatments in Turkey are up to 60 percent cheaper than in many European countries. Conclusively, health tourism in Turkey is growing day by day.

Turkey has a population of 86.433302 (as of Tuesday, October 4, 2022, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data) and ranks number 17 in the list of countries. The population density in Turkey is 110 per Km2 (284 people per mi2). The median age in Turkey is 31.5 years. The population has been steadily rising by around 1.09% per year. The proportion of the population aged 65 and over is lower compared to Europe and the United States (U.S.), however it is expected that this proportion will reach 10.7% by 2026, up from 8.7% in 2017, which will cause an increase in the overall healthcare expenditures of the country in the coming decade.

Quality of Healthcare in Turkey

The Government of Turkey started the Health Transformation Program (HTP) in 2003. To address the challenges, the World Bank has supported Turkey’s Health Transformation Program since 2003 with two Adaptable Program Loans (APLs). The Bank also provided technical guidance and shared the experiences of other countries. The Plan included the following targets under the title ‘Health for All’:

  • Reorganize the administration and functions of the Ministry of Health
  • Cover all citizens under universal healthcare
  • Merge all health facilities under a single body
  • Grant administrative and financial autonomy to hospitals
  • Introduce family medicine
  • Attach special focus on maternal and child health
  • Expand preventive healthcare
  • Promote private sector investment in healthcare
  • Delegate powers to lower levels in all public institutions
  • Address shortage of health professionals in priority development regions
  • Launch digital transformation in health.

The program was developed and launched based on earlier experiences, including socialization and subsequent health reform efforts. Complaints about long waiting lists decreased. Patients stranded in hospitals for failing to pay their bills became a thing of the past, as the main concern was the provision of social insurance and universal healthcare. After addressing the emergency transportation issues, demands were focused on qualified intensive care unit beds in sufficient numbers.

Government of Turkey added three more points to the HTP, which are: the promotion of healthy lifestyle, mobilizing stakeholders and multi-dimensional health responsibility for intersectoral collaboration, and delivering cross-border health services that will further Turkey’s position internationally.

This increase of quality in focus, investment, and personnel, as well as increased competition from private insurance, have resulted in tremendous improvement to the overall healthcare system in Turkey. Today, Turkey hosts more than 180,000 foreign healthcare tourists each year.

There are so many reasons why Turkey stands out as a leading destination for international healthcare. Many of which have been listed above, but don’t forget, Turkey is both safe and easy to travel to with a regional airport hub and flight connections to pretty much everywhere, it’s never been as easy to travel to Turkey.

If you’re still wondering why Turkey is considered to be one of the top healthcare and medical tourism destinations in the world, then read on…

For one, the reason why Turkey is leading the world as a top medical destination is due to the consistent high standards of clinics, health professionals and healthcare in general. In the Joint Commission Internal (JCI), Turkey has the highest number of accredited hospitals in the whole world. They have an excellent reputation for providing patients with exceptional quality healthcare services to fit their individual treatments.

In addition to all this, Turkey has a highly functional health care system, with world-leading and highly qualified medical teams. Due to Turkey’s high population rates and the rapidly growing number of patients, Turkish medical staff is well versed in dealing with patients from all around the globe. They are one of the very first countries to successfully operate with high-end technology as each of the clinics are equipped with modern and advanced equipment to suit patients’ requirements. The minister of health in Turkey follows a policy very similar to the United States’ medical system. Turkish hospitals also provide patients with the best multilingual translators; that way nobody is left behind.

Health Care Facilities and Infrastructures in Turkey

The Ministry of Health (MoH) at the national level is responsible for the planning of the country’s healthcare policy and is also the largest provider of healthcare services. There are 900 public hospitals operated by MoH, 566 private hospitals, and 68 university hospitals. The total number of hospital beds is 251.182. There are 101.388 qualified beds at Public Hospitals, 24.172 at University Hospitals and 34.205 at Private Hospitals. Regarding Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds, there are 23.939 at Public Hospitals, 6.866 at University Hospitals and 16.895 at Private Hospitals. (statistics by 2020).

Number of Hospitals & Beds by branches, 2020

Branches

Hospital

Bed

General Hospital

1.429

233.371

Integrated District Hospital

288

1.621

City Hospital

18

24.372

Municipal Hospital

2

333

General Training Hospital

128

85.959

Other General Hospital

993

121.086

Ophthalmology Hospital

25

293

Obstetric and Child Hospital

20

3.579

Physical Treatment and Rehabilitation Center

18

2.612

Psychiatry Hospital

11

3.952

Chest Diseases Hospital

11

3.688

Child Diseases Hospital

4

1.253

Cardiovascular Diseases Hospital

4

599

Oncology Hospital

3

844

Bone Diseases Hospital

3

436

Occupational Diseases Hospital

2

234

Hospital for Children with Leukemia

1

200

Spastic Children’s Hospital and Rehab Center

1

54

Leprosy Hospital

1

34

Orthopedics and Traumatology Hospital

1

33

Total

1.534

251.182

The standard of healthcare in Turkey varies widely between the public and private system. While cheaper than most of its European counterparts. However, Turkey is fast becoming known for its growth in areas such as cosmetic surgery, dentistry and fertility treatment.

The ranking of the best clinics in Turkey was compiled by UNICLINICS Digest in 2022. More than 1000 clinics across the country are ready to accept international patients. Most of these clinics meet international standards, 49 clinics in Turkey have received the prestigious international JCI certificate (evaluation of clinics according to 1300 parameters and certification if they meet at least 1100 key criteria). It is especially necessary to highlight the 4th most technologically advanced Anadolu Cancer Center in the world and the vast experience of doctors in several areas. After practicing in the US, Germany or France, local doctors perform thousands of kidney, liver, bone marrow, cornea and hair transplants industries in which Turkey has no equal.
In addition, to help patients in the most difficult cases, the best clinics in Turkey work with leading hospitals and institutes in the US.

In terms of shared healthcare programs, EU citizens are yet to enjoy the same reciprocal agreements in Turkey that member states have across the continent. Although a limited percentage of Turkish citizens can afford to use private healthcare, it is affordable in comparison to Western expectations and on a par with western standards. Therefore, in recent years there has been a marked increase in the number of people travelling to Turkey as “medical tourists” to take advantage of this cost disparity.

Expats in Turkey tend to seek treatment at private hospitals where they can access superior facilities and well-trained staff who are more likely to speak English. While more expensive than public healthcare, it remains quite affordable. By using private healthcare, expats can also skip the long queues so often prevalent in state-run institutions.

Health IT solutions in Turkey

Turkey has taken a progressive approach toward utilizing health IT solutions in the country’s healthcare structure.  When a patient report to a medical doctor, all his/her healthcare information is recorded in an Electronic Health Record (EHR). ICD-10 coding is the standard for the description of illnesses in these records.  All doctor visits, diagnostics, treatments, and prescriptions are entered in the record. The system produces e-prescriptions, which are fulfilled at pharmacies. This also makes it possible for the pharmacies to claim their receivables from the Social Security Institute.  Data collected from across the country is centrally stored at MOH servers. In April 2015, MOH launched a mobile application which makes it possible for every citizen to access his/her health record. In the coming years, MOH intends to use the data collected for forecasting and monitoring trending patterns of illnesses, and to have citizens be more active in managing their individual healthcare processes by allowing easier access to their healthcare records.  It will also encourage citizens to use remote monitoring devices to more regularly communicate with their healthcare providers on an as-needed basis. MOH is also working on integrating ‘Clinical Decision Support’ elements into the current EHR systems in order to reduce errors made during diagnoses. Telemedicine is still in its early stages and there are some pilot projects to provide medical support from larger hospitals, to smaller hospitals in rural areas. 

Pharmacies and Medication in Turkey

Pharmacies (eczane) are found all over the country. Major cities such as Istanbul and Ankara usually have a good number of 24-hour pharmacies – generally at least one in each major neighborhood – but pharmacy hours can vary. Pharmacists in Turkey are knowledgeable and can diagnose illnesses, provide over-the-counter medication and will recommend a doctor if they feel one is required.

 

Regulations around buying certain medications are more relaxed in comparison to those in most Western countries, and some medicines that would normally require a prescription are available over the counter in Turkey. Prescription medicines also tend to be quite cheap in Turkey.

Human Resources for Health

There are 1.142.469 of healthcare professionals working in Turkey healthcare system. Among them, there are 171.259 Physicians, 34.830 dentists, 35.364 pharmacists and 227.292 nurses. 

Health Economics and Financing

Turkey spends 4.6% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on healthcare. According to OECD figures, Turkey’s per capita spending on healthcare has reached $426 which shows a large increase since 2002, when transformation program in healthcare was initiated. The medical devices market has been growing between 5-10% annually in the last ten years, and total market size is 1.9 billion, as of the end of 2018. Even though the number of units of medical devices sold grows every year, it has been declining since 2017, mainly due to the local currency losing value against U.S. Dollar.

The medical devices market is imports-dominated, which makes up 85% of the market. This is expected to decrease to a 75%-80% range in the next ten years, as the Government of Turkey plans to incentivize local medical devices manufacturing. Turkey has adjusted its medical devices regulations to match the European Union (EU) regulations, and it is required that devices obtain a CE mark when being imported into Turkey. According to MoH figures, there are 1,000 medical device manufactures, 2,300 importers, and 700 companies that do both. Manufacturers are typically small-scale manufacturers of products such as bandages, syringes, orthopedics products, and surgical instruments.

References:

OECD/Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2008. OECD
Reviews of Health Systems-Turkey [pdf] Available at: http://browse.oecdbookshop.org/ – oecd/pdfs/browseit/8108151E.PDF>
Alkan, E. et al., 2008. Health at a glance-Turkey 2007. MOH, Refik Saydam Hygiene
Center Presidency, School of Public Health, Ankara.
Erus, B. & Aktakke, N., 2009. Impact of Healthcare Reforms on Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditures in Turkey for Public Insurees. In: CERF (Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation), Shocks Vulnerability and Therapy – ERF 16th Annual Conference. Cairo, Egypt, 7-9 November 2009.
Varol, N. & Saka, O., 2008. Healthcare and pharmaceutical policies in Turkey after 2003. Eurohealth, 14(4), pp.29-32.
SGK/Republic of Turkey Social Security Institution, 2008. 2008 Yili Sosyal Guvenlik
Kurumu Saglik Uygulama Tebligi [pdf] Available at:
Orhaner, E., 2006. Turkiye’de Saglik Hizmetleri Finansmani ve Genel Saglik Sigortasi.
Ticaret ve Turizm Egitim Fakultesi Dergisi, (1), pp.17-18.

International Trade Organization-Healthcare Resource Guide – Turkey https://www.trade.gov/healthcare-resource-guide-turkey