Country of origin information report Turkey March 2007

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25 Medical issues
Overview of availability of medical treatment and drugs
25.01 As noted in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report 2005 (Country Fact Sheets, Turkey) “Turkey is ranked 94th in the 2005 Human Development Report, with an HDI value of 0.750.” The HDI rank for 2003 (177 countries) was 94, with an HDI value of 0.750. [35a]
25.02 As noted in a letter from the British Embassy in Ankara to the Home Office dated 11 April 2006 “According to the Turkish Health Ministry, in 2003 there were 1,130 hospitals with a bed capacity of 164,897. The total number of physicians was 93,200 with 748 people per physician.” [4m]
25.03 The Foreign and Commonwealth Office reported in 2001 that if the patient has contributed to a social security scheme (SSK, BAG KUR, EMEKLI or SANDIGI), his or her cost of treatment will be met. A person who has not made social security contributions and who does not have his/her own financial means and can show that he/she is penniless, is provided with free treatment by the state. [4a]
25.04 On 21 February 2005 the Turkish Daily News reported that a law to transfer ownership of Social Security Authority (SSK) hospitals to the Health Ministry had come into effect over the weekend.
“The law also transfers health facilities owned by Postal and Telecommunications General Directorate (PTT) and Ziraat Bank to the ministry. SSK hospitals will from now on be run like other state-owned medical facilities. SSK members will still have to obtain referrals from their local hospital for treatment at university hospitals… Numerous political parties, nongovernmental organizations and labor groups criticized the government decision to transfer the hospitals to the Health Ministry. Those opposing to the law said the government intended to privatize the health sector, with many people only getting the treatment they could afford. The government decision is a small part of the social security reform process currently under way to ease the burden on taxpayers. Despite being owned by the SSK, hospitals are a drain to the state because of the huge losses they incur.” [23p]