Turkish Healthcare Environment

Over the last few years, a reform process has been initiated in the Health Care System in Turkey in conformity with the country's and world's changing and as an effort to improve the health status of the Turkish population. The aim of the Health Reform is to make health care available to all citizens of Turkey in an efficient and equitable manner. The restructuring of the Health System will allow more funds to be allocated to primary and preventive care and create a managed market for secondary and tertiary care. The autonomization of secondary and tertiary care within a social market system will allow improved quality and efficient health care.

According to 2000 census, total population of Turkey is over 67 millions, with an average density of 88 inhabitants per square kilometer, where 64.9% of the residents live in urban areas.

Health services in Turkey are provided mainly by the Ministry of Health, SSK (Social Insurance Organization), Universities, the Ministry of Defense, private physicians, dentists, pharmacists, nurses and other healthcare professionals. Other public and private hospitals also provide services, but their total capacity is low. The fragmented structure of the agencies, which provide health care, makes it difficult to ensure effective coordination and delivery of health services.

MoH, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, some State Economic Enterprises, Universities, and the private sector provide secondary and tertiary health care services. Of the total of 1,240 hospitals, MoH runs 751. These provide 50.1 percent of the hospital beds in the country, with an average occupancy rate of 59.4 percent.

In the period 1980-2002, the ratio of the budget of the ministry of health to the budget of state fluctuated between 2.40% and 4.71%. In the year 2002 the above-mentioned share was 2.40%.

The number of physicians for the year 2001 reaches the amount of almost 91.000 persons. Life Expectancy at birth was at 2000 at the point of 69,8 years. The total amount of imports for the pharmaceutical market exceeds the 179 millions ? at 2002, from which, the 94 millions concern the raw material and the rest 85 millions concern manufactured drugs.

Zeincro Medikal Arastirma ve Danismanlik A.S.
Cayir Cimen Sok.Emlak Kredi Bloklari A2 Bld. 8 th Fl. No.35
Levent 34330 Istanbul, Turkey
Tel: + 90 212 324 34 10 - 11
Fax: + 90 212 324 34 12
E-mail:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Contact name: Mr. Murat Eroglu, (Country Manager)