01.03.2025 14:01
Health Minister Memişoğlu stated that he is pleased with family physicians. He mentioned that the healthcare services are in a very good place and noted that with the new regulation, the incentives given to family physicians have been increased threefold.
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Minister of Health Prof. Dr. Kemal Memişoğlu made statements on many issues, including the 'Newborn Gang', incidents of violence in healthcare, the production of genetic treatment technology for cancer in Turkey, contributions to local science from SGK, reducing the population assigned to family physicians, new regulations, home medication reports for chronic diseases in individuals over 85 years old, color adjustments for ambulances and response times to cases, cross-audit applications for smoke-free airspace, and the health ambassadorship for children.
Stating that the vision of producing and developing health has started to bear its first fruits, Minister Memişoğlu noted that a protocol has been signed to ensure that the clinical research and production phases of the new generation genetic treatment CD19 CAR-T cell therapy, which is a hope for the treatment of certain types of blood cancer, will be carried out for the first time by a local company in Turkey. Emphasizing that with the support of the Turkish Health Institutes Presidency (TÜSEB), it is now possible to develop all kinds of drugs, medical devices, or products from idea to product with local resources in Turkey, Minister Memişoğlu stated that sensors vital for monitoring type 1 diabetes seen in childhood have also started to be produced locally and will be made available for patients in June.
LOCAL TECHNOLOGY IN CANCER TREATMENT
Stating that Turkey is in a very good place regarding healthcare services, Minister Memişoğlu said, "We have also been making great efforts in health technology and the production of health-related information for the last 10 years. Especially with the support of our President's policies to support producing health, we have entered a process of accelerating this. CAR-T Cell is one of the advanced technology treatment methods in cancer treatment. We will produce this locally in Turkey in a very short time and make it available to our people. TÜSEB is also a part of this. We consider the Turkish Health Institutes Presidency as the locomotive of producing health. We have also passed a law regarding this. Now, in Turkey, anyone with an idea in the field of science can turn their idea into a commercial product by combining their science, research, industry, and university from the idea stage. One of the first fruits of this will be CAR-T Cell. TÜSEB is working in many areas. Our country produced ventilators during Covid. We have the know-how and knowledge to produce everything from lung pumps to heart valves. We will soon share many good news with our society. Because we want to be one of the leading countries in the world that not only provides healthcare services but also produces the technology and science of health. We have the human power, infrastructure, and political will and support. In a few years, many devices, materials, and drugs related to health will gradually start to emerge in Turkey," he said.
"WE NEED TO MAKE PROGRESS IN DEVELOPING NEW MOLECULES"
Expressing that Turkey is still not at the desired level in producing original molecules in drug production, Minister Memişoğlu stated, "We can produce drugs on a box basis, but we need to improve in terms of our own molecules or devices. A protocol has been signed in this regard, and hopefully, by 2026 at the latest, we will have delivered such treatment methods to our people. Another strategic point we see is that the scientific studies approved or supported by TÜSEB will now be covered by the Social Security Institution in terms of patient costs. In other words, you will produce a drug or develop a device. You need to conduct the scientific study for this. You need to prove its efficacy and safety scientifically, and for this, you need to conduct phase studies. You need to demonstrate that the device, drug, or application method is beneficial for everyone to use. This is what we call 'evidence-based medicine'. These stages consist of Phase 0, Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3. Animal experiments, clinical studies on volunteers, and similar processes have been carried out this way for centuries," he said.
LOCAL SENSOR FOR CHILDREN WITH DIABETES
Continuing his statement, Minister Memişoğlu said, "If it is truly an original idea and TÜSEB decides to 'work on it', then the materials to be used in clinical studies related to a drug or method that has reached Phase 1 from the idea stage, as well as the costs of volunteers and similar expenses, can be financially supported by SGK. Normally, this is an expensive method in the international market. If we produce it locally, we can reduce this cost and make it a strategic product of our own. International companies can finance these phases as sponsors. It is also very valuable for us to turn a doctor's idea in Turkey into a commercially viable product or method. This will also reduce our dependency on foreign sources. Today, we are making mobile X-ray devices, monitors, and many other devices. Let me give you another good news; with the instruction of our President, the use of glucose sensors (by being covered by insurance) for children under 18 has been ensured. We are currently producing the local version, and hopefully, it will be ready for use in June-July. TÜSEB has made significant progress in this regard. It will be completely local, and I believe it will even be better than the international counterparts we currently use," he said.
THANKS TO FAMILY PHYSICIANS
Speaking about reducing the population assigned to each family physician from 4,000 to 3,500 and the new regulation, Minister Memişoğlu said, "Our main goal is to protect our health without getting sick. Family Medicine will provide this. The physician closest to the person's home and family is the family physician. Each family physician has a population assigned to them. There used to be a population of 4,000, and we expected these people to come to the family physician on their own. However, unfortunately, such a habit has not developed in society, especially in the middle-aged group. Because there was a health center system before that," he stated. Minister Memişoğlu also emphasized that there are individuals who have not visited their registered family physician even once, and continued his remarks as follows: "We are trying to change this mentality. We have currently reduced the number to 3,500, but we also told the family physician this: You are responsible for the health-related issues of this population. If there is a need to go to the hospital less than a year ago, it means you are successful. Because it means that the population assigned to you has reduced the need to go to the hospital. Then we provide incentives, which we have increased threefold above your salary. If this population needs less medication than a year ago, your salary will increase a bit more. If this population is satisfied with you compared to the city average, it means you are truly taking care of this population. We diagnosed chronic diseases in the elderly group before they even started. I really thank family physicians; they have done very valuable work for us and continue to do so."
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1.5 MILLION CHRONIC PATIENTS DETECTED EVERY TWO MONTHS BY FAMILY DOCTORS
Minister Memişoğlu stated in his remarks: "May Allah be pleased with each of them. Especially family doctors. Together with November and December, they screened approximately 10 million of our citizens one by one and diagnosed that 1.5 million people had chronic diseases without even knowing it. They are currently following up and treating them. They have made it possible to monitor the sugar levels, kidney failure, and blood pressure of 1.5 million people before the disease progresses to a more advanced stage. I thank them very much for this. Our first door, our top priority should be Family Medicine. I express my gratitude here to my family doctors, nearly 90% of whom have achieved this. We have another fundamental and preventive health aspect that most people are unaware of. We have 285 Healthy Life Centers in Turkey. In these 285 Healthy Life Centers, people have access to everything from physical therapy to dietitians, sociologists to child development specialists, dentists, preventive dentistry, cancer screenings, prenatal education to maternal education, psychologists, and even Pilates, all for free. We have made it possible for family doctors to make appointments for their patients from here. At the same time, we have made it possible for patients to be referred from the hospital to there. So, let's say you are at the hospital, and the endocrinologist deems it necessary for the patient to see a dietitian; you can go to the Healthy Life Center dietitian, make an appointment, and start your diet.
INTEGRATED FAMILY DOCTORS WITH HOSPITALS
Minister Memişoğlu explained that family doctors have also been integrated with hospitals, saying, "So, this family doctor with a population of 3,500, if one of their patients needs to go to the hospital, we have allocated 10% of the quota from all hospitals to family doctors. The family doctor can make appointments for relevant branches from the relevant hospitals for the person in their population. Nearly 1.5 million people are currently making appointments and receiving treatment for their illnesses in this way. This ensures that we prevent unnecessary visits to the wrong branch or to the hospital. We are now enabling communication between the family doctor and the doctor in the hospitals. Thus, your family doctor can also follow all the procedures to be performed in the hospital, etc. We want our citizens to see family medicine as a more effective door to solve their problems without going to the hospital or the emergency room. Our family doctors will prioritize prevention, not just treatment," he said.
DOCTOR WILL CREATE AN APPOINTMENT IF DEEMED NECESSARY
Minister Memişoğlu expressed his request to the citizens, saying: "I also want this from our citizens, everyone should trust their doctor. Doctors are dedicated individuals who have received years of training to keep people healthy or to treat them when they fall ill. We are not just practicing a profession; it is a job that also has a spiritual aspect. Therefore, we must do what the doctor says. We are talking about a doctor who has received years of training and knows your body. We do not want citizens to go to their family doctor and say, 'Prescribe this medication, this film' or 'Refer me to the hospital.' We want our citizens to express their concerns to their family doctor and let the doctor decide what needs to be done. If the family doctor deems it appropriate, they will refer them to second or third-level institutions. I do not want pressure to be put on family doctors saying, 'I couldn't get an appointment; please get one for me.' We also do not want the family doctor to give this appointment if it is not necessary. If the patient really needs to go to the hospital, and the doctor deems it necessary, we want them to get an appointment. Or if medication is to be prescribed, we do not want pressure to be applied if the family doctor does not want to prescribe it. Today, when you use unnecessary antibiotics, both the resistance of microbes increases, and our rate of treating diseases decreases. It can also create risks that can harm our kidneys, liver, and every part of the body due to unnecessary antibiotic use. Many of you have excess medications in your refrigerator or around you; we use half of them and do not use the other half. Or we use them unnecessarily. Therefore, I request our society to use medication only if their family doctor or the doctor they are consulting truly deems it appropriate. After all, those who practice the science and art of this work are the doctors. They are the ones who know the benefits and harms to humans. It is not right to use medication just because a neighbor said so or something similar.
HOME MEDICATION REPORT FOR THOSE OVER 85 YEARS OLD
Minister Memişoğlu spoke about a new application that allows individuals over 85 years old to obtain reports without going to hospitals to receive their medications for chronic diseases, saying: "Our elderly were struggling to obtain reports in hospitals to get their medications. This is a significant risk and a very cumbersome task for them. We want to allow citizens in this age group, our elders, to write their reports directly from where they are. We will also do something very soon. We are working on that as well. When the duration of medication reports is about to expire, we will say, 'Your medication report is expiring; we have come to renew your report.' With home health care, our elderly patients can now obtain their reports without going to the hospital.
EMERGENCY SERVICES CONTINUE TO OPERATE EVEN IN WINTER CONDITIONS
Minister Memişoğlu noted that Turkey has an incredible infrastructure, healthcare service capacity, and human resources, and provided the following information about emergency services: "Since 2008, we have been working with our first helicopters, and since 2010, we have been transporting our patients with all our air ambulances. Currently, Turkey has 5,613 land ambulances, 513 snow-tracked ambulances, helicopters, and air ambulances, all at the service of our patients. In urban areas, the ambulance's response time to an incident is under 10 minutes 90% of the time. In rural areas, this time is under 30 minutes. This is far above world standards. Currently, in most countries, patients can wait for hours for an ambulance. I express my gratitude and appreciation to my 50,000 employees working in emergency services. They have performed very important duties in UMKE and emergency services, and they continue to do so. Turkey is currently providing these services to our people through our sea, air, land, and specialized ambulances (such as obesity ambulances, newborn ambulances, etc.) and motorized ambulances.
COLOR ADJUSTMENT FOR AMBULANCES
In his statement, Minister Memişoğlu also said, "I want to express two things, and it is beneficial for our citizens to show sensitivity to this. First, we do not want 112 to be called unnecessarily. This is unfair to other people. Secondly, the zipper method should be used in traffic to allow ambulances to pass. On the other hand, we have also made a new regulatory change regarding ambulances. The 112 ambulances, that is, the red ambulances, and the ambulances that will transport chronic patients will now be differentiated by color. We have given an adaptation or compliance period until the end of this year.
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We will turn the colors of the transfer ambulances to gray. Thus, if there is a real emergency patient inside, it will only activate its lights or siren. We are also ensuring that the ambulances are corporate. We have created such a regulation because we do not want personal ambulances. There is an adaptation period for that until the end of 2025. Starting from the beginning of 2026, the colors of ambulances transporting chronic patients will be differentiated from 112 ambulances. Additionally, we have equipped all ambulances with electronic systems and we are making them manageable, including the interior. We are making this mandatory. In other words, it will be possible to manage in real-time, in a way that the command center can be informed about which patient is in the ambulance, where it is going, and the patient's condition. We will also track where the patient in the ambulance is going, including their condition, in connection with the security forces," said Minister Memişoğlu. He also addressed the emergency teams working in difficult winter conditions, especially in rural areas, stating, "They go with tracked ambulances in the snow. They provide all kinds of services in the air. They are really young kids, extremely excited. They serve people by risking their own lives. We have healthcare workers who take off their own socks and jackets to give to patients. We live in a country where healthcare workers are so selfless."
IT'S SAD THAT THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS PERCEIVED THIS WAY
In his statement, Minister Memişoğlu also mentioned the 'Newborn Gang', saying: "For us, our babies and our people are very precious. It is a sad event because healthcare workers are generally good people who have dedicated their lives to the well-being of others. We are on the good side of everything. We were trained to be beneficial to people or to be a remedy for their troubles. This is a very spiritual profession. This event is actually an injustice to the 1.5 million healthcare professionals who work selflessly. The lives of our babies are worth everything. But there is also a system in Turkey that can now filter out its own rotten elements. I want society to know this. We conducted inspections, reports were issued, but we were able to eliminate even a gang structure that was contrary to normalcy, initially with our contribution, and then with the efforts of the judiciary and law enforcement. Today, judicial proceedings have begun, and of course, a process is underway that will reveal everything. Hopefully, they will receive the necessary penalties. Better inspection mechanisms will also be eliminated. We are trying to manage every process. We are re-establishing scientific boards. We are changing the regulations for private hospitals to make them more controllable and auditable. Besides the truths, a lot of disinformation is also being spread. An image is being created as if the entire healthcare system is like this. Or statements are being made that will completely destroy trust in healthcare workers. This is what saddens us. Because Turkey really has a healthcare infrastructure that everyone knows how selflessly those in the healthcare system work. Today, people from every country in the world come to our country to receive healthcare services. For example, in Europe, people wait 1 or 2 years to see a doctor. It is sad to create an image that everything is very bad when our healthcare system is so good. This event is an exception. Last April, necessary raids were conducted, and the gang was dismantled. In September, after the gang's computers, phones, and similar documents were seized, the judicial process continued by establishing a causal link with death."
CROSS-CONTROL FOR SMOKE-FREE AIRSPACE
Minister Memişoğlu also indicated that new applications regarding smoke-free airspace would begin, providing information about the 'cross-control' application: "Not only with preventive health services but individuals also need to try to stay healthy by protecting themselves. I am not actually in favor of this being done through punishment or prohibition. But of course, inspections should be carried out, and necessary penalties should be imposed. In Turkey, 34.8% of 100 people smoke, which is a very large number. This rate reaches 45% among men. In other words, one in every two men smokes. One-third of women smoke. We want to deter those who violate smoking rules by cross-checking a province with another province, so that we can discourage tradespeople or individuals who act contrary to smoking rules. As a society, we need to bring smoke-free airspace to the forefront again. When you sit somewhere and smoke, you are harming others. You are infringing on their rights. For example, to allow people who do not know each other to monitor each other, someone from Istanbul can go to Samsun to monitor Hakkari, or someone from Istanbul can go to Sakarya to monitor. There is another problem in society, and one of the most important is weight and obesity. 62% of the Turkish population is overweight, and 25% is obese. Your heart has to serve a larger area, your ankles, knees, and joints are under more pressure. Your kidneys have to work harder, your liver has to burn more fat, and your intestines have to work more. You are wasting everything. Even your sleep quality decreases. There are two simple ways to lose weight. One, you need to move; two, you should not fill your stomach completely. From here, I want to say this, Ramadan has come; for one month, please drink your water and soup at iftar, take a 15-minute break, you do not need to eat excessively, you should eat enough to expend your energy. Eat something light again around midnight."
OBESITY WARNING IN CHILDREN
Addressing the prevalence of obesity among children, Minister Memişoğlu stated that especially after Covid-19, the habit of staying at home has increased, the neighborhood culture has diminished, and the problem of weight has increased in children, especially with urbanization. Minister Memişoğlu continued his remarks: "When you gain weight in childhood, it becomes permanent, and it becomes difficult to reduce it during adolescence. We need to educate children. We are starting a new program, which we previously implemented in Istanbul. 'Healthy children, healthy future.' Children generally only meet healthcare professionals when they are sick in hospitals. Now we are going to them. I call out to each of our children from here; each of them is actually our health ambassador. If their parents smoke, please tell them that I do not want you to smoke. Or if they are eating incorrectly, if they are overweight, they should warn them. We see children as our health ambassadors. They should not eat junk food either. They will brush their teeth every morning and wash their hands. They can use the computer whenever they want, but they should do so under supervision. If we are going to have a Century of Health in Turkey, we must first raise our children's awareness of health issues."
"TURKEY'S HEALTHCARE WORKERS ARE A MODEL FOR THE WORLD"
Before March 14, Minister Memişoğlu gave important messages to his colleagues, concluding his remarks: "We, as physicians, are truly people who strive for the well-being of society, trying to be a remedy for their troubles."
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We do this not just as a profession but as a dedication. We are good people, valuable people, and I say this as someone who sits in this chair and practices a profession that is on the side of health and goodness, proud of them for their selflessness. As Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said, our doctors are truly the most reliable and best doctors in the world. Our healthcare workers are the same. Turkey's healthcare professionals are an example to the world. Today, we need to fully support them. We, as doctors, just want to be valued. We want to feel valuable. There are incidents of violence against healthcare, and people cannot understand it. Society needs to support its doctors. I would like to congratulate all my colleagues in advance for 'March 14th Medicine Day'. March 14th is a holiday celebrated only in Turkey. The people who initiated the resistance against the enemy in the War of Independence were doctors. We, as doctors and healthcare workers, are the cornerstones of this society. I sit in this chair on their behalf. Ultimately, they serve the patients, and we serve them. We will strive to be better. They will always have criticisms and warnings for us, of course. Because they provide the service. They will point out our mistakes, and we, as people in this position, will work to correct them.