The healthcare system in Turkey is being developed under the 2003–2013 Health Transformation Program. The purpose of this program is to increase the quality and efficiency of the healthcare system and enhance access to healthcare facilities with the introduction of a number of reforms.
With an estimated population of 76 million residents and an annual growth rate of 1.8%, the Turkish healthcare sector caters to a rapidly growing population, and the concurrent increasing demand on the healthcare sector.
Key Healthcare Indicators per 1000 peopleAccording to the Turkstat data, 49.3% of the Turkish population is below the age of 30. The largest quintile age group within the Turkish population lies between the ages of 30 to 34 years, accounting for 8.5% of the total population. Males represent a higher share across the younger age groups, yet females dominate the older age groups, starting from the 55-59 year age group, which evidently indicates a higher life expectancy. Approximately 44% of the population in Turkey is centralized in 8 provinces. The most populated province is Istanbul with 18.3% of the population.
The Healthcare sector in Turkey is primarily managed by the Government through the Ministry of Health (MoH), universities and other semi-public organizations. Nevertheless, the government has been encouraging the private sector to invest in the healthcare sector and gain a wider role, which consequently resulted in the number of private hospitals reaching 503 in 2011, compared to 271 private hospitals in 2002.
The number of beds per 1,000 population has been consistently increasing over the past decade, reaching 2.54 in 2011. Between the period of 2000–2011, the number of doctors (including dentists) has reached 147,128 achieving a CAGR of 3.5%. During the same period the number of nurses has reached 124,982, achieving a CAGR of 5.5%. The overall supply of healthcare facilities struggles to keep pace with the burgeoning population, a situation recognized by the Government who have recently introduced initiatives to encourage the private sector to match the shortfall and benefit from this potentially lucrative sector.
Healthcare Spending as % of GDP (Turkey vs. EMEA)The Turkish health insurance industry sector underwent a consolidation process during the 2006–2008 period, in order to merge the existing providers under one centralized umbrella, Sosyal Sigortalar Kurumu (“SSK” or Social Insurance Organisation), and provide efficient coverage for all citizens.
Total expenditure on healthcare (public and private) in Turkey remained slightly under 6% of GDP between 2004 and 2007. In 2010, the ratio has increased slightly to 6.3% according to the Ministry of Health.
(This article features excerpts from the full report – please download it here)
