Evaluation of the health policies in Turkey

Improved conditions in health services, elimination of health-threatening factors, and effective, extensive provision of protective health services constitute an individual right and a constitutional duty of state. Health planning requires proper use of resources considering the population, methods of health service provision, and the number of specialist physicians and health personnel. A systematic, scheduled health policy was implemented in the early years of Turkish Republic when the population, population increase rate, and opportunities were small. However, population growth, rapid, uncontrolled urbanization, environmental problems, and decreased budget for health expenditures caused problems in health sector. Such problems and the failure to raise health planning to a desirable level necessitated reform in health services. Qualitative and quantitative improvement in health services and the standardization and reforming efforts to increase efficiency and quality of health service provision are maintained in the context of the successful policies previously implemented in EU countries and throughout the world. The complicated structure of Turkey’s health sector and lack of institutional coordination and continuity create difficulties in implementing health policies.

 

Increasing competition in health sector quantitatively increases service provider institutions. However, service quality and user satisfaction are important for the proper and efficient use of resources. Thus, there is a need for health policies conforming to the country’s conditions to raise society’s health level and ensure efficient, effective and equitable use of resources and studies to measure, assess, and increase health provision quality. This paper evaluates Republican health policies in Turkey in terms of service provision and suggests solutions to problems.

 

Keywords: Health policy, service provision