| Examination, diagnosis, cure and
rehabilitation of the general public are included
in the responsibilities of the Ministry of Health
and Social Welfare. However, other ministries,
state economic enterprises (most of which are to
be shut down or privatized) medical schools and
some private sector agencies, also help to
perform these services. General practitioner services,
although planned, have not started in Turkey yet.
Therefore when somebody becomes ill, first he
must see a doctor in an infirmary or the health
department at his work place if there is one. If
necessary they are then sent to a hospital.
Children and housewives of working people or
retired people can only go to hospitals directly
without any previous visits or referrals from an
infirmary or a health department.
In order to obtain
the medicine prescribed, retired people have to
pay 10% and others 20% of the list price. The
rest of the amount is covered by social insurance
institutions.
HOSPITALS
In the first years
of the Turkish Republic, there were 3 hospitals
with a total bed capacity of 950. The number of
state hospitals rose to 941 with a total bed
capacity of 139,600 (1991).
The number of
persons per bed is 411, per doctor 1108 and per
dentist 5,336.
More than half of
the doctors in Turkey are specialists and 40% of
them work in the public sector.
1. Public Hospitals
a) State Hospitals
Members of the
Retirement Trust and Bag-Kur and their families
can utilize these hospitals.
b) Social Insurance
Board Hospitals
Members of this
board are employed contributors, who along with
their families, benefit from this scheme.
2. University
Hospitals
These are possibly
the hospitals of the highest standard in Turkey.
The people who use these hospitals are members of
the Retirement Trust, patients transferred by
another hospital or any direct any direct private
patient provided that the services received are
paid for.
3. Hospitals of State
Economic Enterprises
These hospitals
belong to state enterprises such as PTT (Post,
Telephone & Telegram), DDY (State Railways)
or are akin to various professions such as
Military hospitals, Teachers’ hospitals and
Police hospitals. The facilities of these
hospitals are used by members of the given
professions and their families.
4. Private Hospitals
These vary widely
in standard and are generally found in the major
cities where the income levels of some people
enable them to afford private medical care. Some
of these private hospitals are internationally
recognized for their high standards.
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